Two Longtime Managers Exit Pandora

RAPAPORT… Pandora’s US division will have new roles to fill, as
two senior executives leave the company.

Laurie McDonald will exit the Danish jeweler after 15 years,
the last three spent as the general manager of Pandora US, while John
DePasquale, US vice president of wholesale sales, will depart after six years
at the company.

“[McDonald] has decided to leave the company to begin a new
chapter in her life,” Mads Twomey-Madsen, vice president of corporate
communications and sustainability for Pandora, said earlier this week. “We wish
both [McDonald and DePasquale] all the best in their new endeavors.”

During the transition, Sid Keswani, whom Pandora hired as
president for the Americas last year, will lead the US team. The company is
searching for replacements, but does “not wish to rush the recruitments,”
Twomey-Madsen explained.

Meanwhile, Pandora has taken on Erik Schmidt as its chief
human resources officer. He is tasked with helping the company grow its
Programme Now project, a brand-transformation plan, and cut costs by DKK 1.2
billion ($179.1 million) by the end of 2020.

Schmidt was previously the chief human resources officer at
Britax, a manufacturer of child-safety products. Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik also joined the jeweler from the same company in
April.

Following a short handover, Pandora’s senior vice president
of group human resources, Mads Kamp, will leave the company to make room for
Schmidt, who will begin August 12.

Image: Laurie McDonald. (Pandora)