LONDON – Paul Smith has named retail veteran Ewan Venters to the brand new function of govt chairman, efficient Oct. 1.
Venters has been serving as non-executive director of Paul Smith since February, and was most just lately chief govt of the artwork gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Previous to Hauser & Wirth, he was chief govt of Fortnum & Mason, the place, over a interval of eight years, he oversaw the transformation of the model and a progress surge within the enterprise. He has additionally held management roles at retailers together with Selfridges.
“I’m delighted to welcome Ewan to the staff on the cusp of celebrating our fifty fifth anniversary,” Smith mentioned. “In his time at Paul Smith as a non-executive director, Ewan has introduced boundless vitality and a welcome perspective to assist propel us into our subsequent chapter. I’m very excited to proceed working collectively.”
Venters described Paul Smith as “one in every of Britain’s most enduring, charming and beloved manufacturers. I’ve identified and admired Sir Paul for a while, and I regard it as a terrific privilege to work alongside one in every of Britain’s best dwelling designers and entrepreneurs.”
In an interview, Venters mentioned he’s keen to assist write a brand new chapter for the enterprise, and to work with a model that has an influence that goes far past vogue, into tradition, neighborhood and British historical past.
“There are jobs – after which there are jobs like these. Paul Smith is a enterprise, a model, an iconic designer – and it’s additionally a part of British historical past,” mentioned Venters. Going ahead, Venters plans to “work side-by-side with Paul on increasing, creating and working the enterprise.”
Venters will stay in different positions, together with as chair of the personal sector council of the Nice marketing campaign, which seeks to boost the U.Ok.’s enterprise popularity abroad. He was awarded an OBE in 2024 within the King’s Honors Record in 2024 for companies to worldwide commerce.
