Dior appoints Montblanc CEO to management board

Nicolas Baretzki is taking on the newly created role of deputy managing director in charge of commercial activities at French fashion house Dior.

Baretzki will step into the position on 2 April, according to WWD, which received a statement from Dior. He will report directly to managing director Charles Delapalme.

The former CEO of the Richemont subsidiary Montblanc will be responsible for wholesale and retail, the Dior Academy and the hotel sector at the brand, which belongs to the French luxury group LVMH.

Together with Olivier Bialobos, deputy managing director for global communications and image, he will also be responsible for the strategies of the digital and omnichannel segments as well as customer development.

According to Baretzki’s LinkedIn, he has worked for the Hamburg-based luxury pen and accessories provider for more than 10 years, first as executive vice president sales and since April 2017 as CEO.

He further held various positions at the parent company Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, which also owns fashion houses such as Chloé, AZ Factory and Alaïa, for more than 30 years.

In 1994, he took on his first role at the Swiss luxury goods group as marketing director of jewellery supplier Cartier. He later moved within the group to watch specialist Jaeger-LeCoultre before joining Montblanc in 2013.

Dior has not yet confirmed the appointment to FashionUnited.