Pandora Fast-Tracks New Executive Berta de Pablos-Barbier for CEO Role

Pandora will promote Berta De Pablos-Barbier, its new CEO, ahead of schedule. The company’s current chief marketing officer was set to take over the position currently held by Alexander Lacik at next year’s annual general meeting, scheduled for March 11th, but the transition will finally begin on January 1st.

It will be Jannie Farmer, senior vice president of brand experience and channels, who will succeed Pablos-Barbier as the new chief marketing officer a year after her debut at the jewelry company, a statement said Monday. For his part, Lacik announced in September his retirement.

Pandora’s president, Peter Ruzicka, has celebrated “being able to carry out the transition between leaderships faster than planned,“ and noted that “the handover of responsibilities has been exceptionally smooth.“

Jannie Farmer will take over as chief marketing officer one year after her debut at the company

Among Farmer’s objectives is the “long-term growth” of the company, “weathering market turbulence,“ she said. According to the latest results published, Pandora closed the third quarter with a 6% increase in sales, up to 6,269 million Danish kroner ($985 million).

Lacik is retiring after nearly seven years as Pandora’s president and CEO. Since joining in 2019, he has led its restructuring and executed the company’s growth strategy. In fact, according to the company, during Lacik’s tenure, revenues increased 45% and profitability exceeded 200%.

Farmer was director of marketing at furniture retailer Oka and commercial director of The Office Group. Previously, she held various management positions at LVMH Estates & Wines, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark.

The Copenhagen-based group reiterated at the end of its third quarter its forecast for the full year, with estimated growth of between 7% and 8% and an operating margin “around 24%“. It adjusted, however, its comparable growth forecast to between 3% and 4% (compared to 4%-5% previously).