Global Fashion Group announces leadership transition

Global Fashion Group (GFG), which owns e-commerce platforms The Iconic, Zalora and Dafiti, has announced a new "leadership transition" as part of the group’s "next phase of development".

Effective from March 1, Christoph Barchewitz will become the sole chief executive of GFG, as Patrick Schmidt steps down as co-chief executive, after five years of co-leadership together.

In a statement, GFG said that Schmidt was leaving the company after 10 years to “spend more time with his young family and on his investments in renewables”. The group said that he “played a key role” in building the fashion e-commerce business, first as chief executive of GFG’s Australia and New Zealand region, where he established The Iconic as the number one fashion e-commerce company in the region and championed the introduction of the sustainability strategy. He also initiated the turnaround of GFG’s south-east Asia region as interim Zalaro chief executive.

As part of the leadership transition, GFG also appointed Gunjan Soni as chief operation officer, in addition to her current role as chief executive of GFG’s south-east Asia e-commerce platform, Zalora.

Patrick Schmidt departs Global Fashion Group

Cynthia Gordon, chairman of the GFG supervisory board, said: “We are delighted to appoint Christoph as CEO after five years of exemplary leadership which saw him transform GFG into the business it is today.

“We also want to congratulate and welcome Gunjan Soni as COO. Having their combined experience on the Management Board will strengthen and build on the GFG’s successes even further."

The transition is part of the next phase in the e-commerce platform group’s development as the leading online fashion and lifestyle destination in Latin America, south-east Asia, and Australia and New Zealand.

Commenting on Schmidt’s departure, Barchewitz said: “I would like to thank Patrick for his partnership, passion and leadership over the years and wish him all the best for his next chapter. I am really looking forward to working with Gunjan in her expanded role and with our global team, as we enter the next phase of building the number one fashion and lifestyle destination in our markets.”