Pessina took up the newly-created role of chief commercial officer on April 2 and is responsible for overseeing the 10 regional ‘clusters’ created in the restructuring plan.
He will report to CEO Alexander Lacik and be based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pessina was previously president of the North American division of international clothing retailer H&M. Over a two-decade period working for the Swedish company, he held management roles in retail, sales, merchandising, operations and expansion.
According to a Pandora Jewelry statement, Pessina oversaw a “remarkable sales and profit turnaround” while leading the North American division, increasing annual revenue to more than $US4 billion.
Alexander Lacik, CEO Pandora Jewelry, said, “Martino has an impressive track record in international mass-market fashion retail and will play a very important role in this transformation.
“He is a natural leader with excellent analytical skills and a deep understanding of shoppers. I am very happy to welcome him to our leadership team.”
As part of Pandora Jewelry, Pessina will co-ordinate commercial operations across 100 markets, including store development, planning and global merchandising, as well as overseeing international franchising.
The general managers of each regional ‘cluster’ will report directly to Pessina. Australia forms part of the Pacific cluster, alongside New Zealand and Fiji. Phil McNutt, formerly managing director Pandora Australia, has been appointed general manager of the Pacific cluster.
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