Versace appoints Cedric Wilmotte as interim CEO

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Nov 17, 2021

Last month's announcement of the departure of Versace CEO Jonathan Akeroyd, who will be joining British luxury house Burberry next April, has forced Capri, the owner of the Italian luxury brand, to take fast action. The group has therefore announced the appointment of an interim CEO, Cedric Wilmotte, who will lead the brand from January 17, 2022, until the end of the year, giving the company time to find a definitive successor for Akeroyd. 

Capri has not had to look too far, as it found Versace's new interim CEO at one of its flagship brands, Michael Kors, where Wilmotte has been serving as president of the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region since 2008. 

During the 10 years before he joined Michael Kors, the executive worked at a series of big-name fashion brands, from Donna Karan, where he was director of the men's and women's DKNY lines in Europe, to Marc Jacobs, which he joined as director of sales in Europe in 2004. 

In his new role, he will work closely with Versace's chief creative officer, Donatella Versace, as well as with the leadership team "to continue executing the brand’s clearly-defined strategic initiatives," explained the company in a release.