Julia Goddard has been appointed as the new CEO of Harvey Nichols, succeeding Manju Malhotra, who served in the role for 25 years before departing in late 2023. Goddard comes from Alexander McQueen, where she spent 14 years, notably overseeing expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa as president.
As the new CEO, Goddard will join the board and report directly to Sir Dickson Poon and Pearson Poon, who respectively hold the positions of chairman and vice chairman at the UK-based retailer.
Goddard will assume leadership of the fashion and beauty retailer’s strategy starting in June, succeeding Manju Malhotra, who departed last year after a tenure of 25 years with the company.
Bringing 14 years of experience from her time at luxury brand Alexander McQueen, Goddard held the role of President for the EMEA region, where she is credited with driving growth across wholesale, retail, and e-concession channels.
Known for her emphasis on enhancing retail experiences and prioritizing the company’s ‘Very Important Customer’ (VIC) services, Goddard also played a key role in launching Alexander McQueen stores in major cities like London, Paris, Milan, Rome, and Dubai.
“Julia is a dynamic business leader with a strong track record of delivering quality growth and successfully developing and executing a Very Important Customer clienteling strategy,” said Sir Dickson Poon and Pearson Poon, Harvey Nichols’ Chairman, and Vice Chairman respectively.
The company reported that for the year ending April 1, 2023, there was an increase in revenue and a decrease in losses. Revenue saw a 13% rise to £216.6 million, while the pre-tax loss amounted to £21.3 million, which is lower compared to the £30.4 million recorded in the preceding 12 months.
