(Reuters) - British fashion house Burberry named Jonathan Akeroyd as its new chief executive officer from next April, poaching the boss of Milan-based Gianni Versace and former Alexander McQueen head to succeed Marco Gobbetti.
"Jonathan is an experienced leader with a strong track record in building global luxury fashion brands and driving profitable growth," Burberry Chair Gerry Murphy said.
Gobbetti's departure after four years has been cast as a personal decision to return to Italy, where he will take the helm of luxury goods group Ferragamo.
Following are some highlights of Akeroyd's career.
* Akeroyd, 54, is a British national who worked his way up from being a store manager at Harrods in London to becoming merchandising director of the luxury department store.
* He was named chief executive of Alexander McQueen in 2004, a British luxury brand owned by French luxury goods group Kering (PA:PRTP). He spurred its turnaround through the launch of an accessories range, the appointment of Sarah Burton as creative director, and a significant store expansion in the U.S. and Chinese markets.
* Akeroyd joined Gianni Versace Spa in 2016 as chief executive, reorganising the Italian fashion house, accelerating its growth and overseeing its sale to U.S. group Michael Kors Holdings , renamed as Capri Holdings (NYSE:CPRI), in 2018.