Vuitton's Jenny Galimberti confirmed as JW Anderson's new CEO

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 3, 2018

Jonathan Anderson has named Jenny Galimberti as the new CEO of his JW Anderson brand. The Louis Vuitton communications and events director is moving to oversee the London-based label and being replaced at LVMH’s most lucrative brand by Stefano Cantino, who was previously at Prada.

The appointment had been widely expected at the British brand in which LVMH has held a large-but-not-controlling stake for the past five years. The LVMH-Anderson connection goes very deep with the designer also being the creative chief of LVMH's Spain-based Loewe brand.

Brand leaders from a communications background have become increasingly popular in recent periods as marketing and communications have taken on as high a profile as sales and product development at luxury brands. 

The new CEO’s appointment also continues the LVMH tradition of looking first at the talent within its own ranks before recruiting from outside and of promoting women to senior roles. 

LVMH and Anderson certainly haven’t moved with excessive haste to fill the post with previous incumbent Simon Whitehouse having left for personal reasons at the end of 2017 after almost four years in the post. 

Industry watchers expect Galimberti to approach the role quite differently from the low-profile Whitehouse. The outgoing nature of comms specialists is perhaps another strong reason for looking at the communications department to find the executive who - along with the designer - is a brand’s key figurehead.

As well as a more open style, Galimberti also has crucial experience across the wider the luxury sector, working at a senior level at Vuitton for three years and having previously been immersed in comms and brand development at a raft of names from Prada to Gucci, L’Oréal, Alfred Dunhill and Swarovski.