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Sacha Laing, an experienced omni-channel retail executive who led a turnaround at General Pants Co prior to its sale to Alquemie Group, will take the reins as chief executive officer (CEO) of online cosmetics retailer Adore Beauty (ASX: ABY) in October.
Laing will replace outgoing CEO Tamalin Morton, who announced her departure in April for personal reasons.
The incoming executive was CEO of General Pants Co for more than five years from January 2019 to May 2024, but for the last two of those years he was also group CEO of Richard Facioni's Alquemie Group, overseeing all its businesses including Lego Certified Stores, Surfstitch and Ginger & Smart.
Previously he was CEO of Colette by Colette Hayman, and has also held executive leadership roles with several iconic retail brands such as Country Road Group and David Jones.
"Sacha’s extensive retail and omnichannel experience aligns with our strategic initiatives and will be invaluable in driving Adore Beauty’s future growth," says Adore Beauty chair Marina Go.
"He is an accomplished retail leader and brand manager, with significant experience across e-commerce, retail operations, private label development, product management, loyalty, as well as marketing and communications strategy.
"Sacha’s appointment further strengthens our leadership team, and ensures we are well-positioned to grow revenue and market share."
Laing says he is delighted to be joining Adore Beauty at an exciting time when the company is embarking on its "next chapter of growth".
"Adore Beauty has a well established and significant loyal customer base underpinned by its core brand purpose to encourage and enable current and future consumers to step out every day with confidence," he says.
"We will continue to focus on accelerating our strategic growth pillars, including stand-alone Adore Beauty physical stores, further expansion of our own private label brands, and the integration and expansion of the iKOU business, expected to complete later this month.
"“I’m privileged to have led and worked with some of Australia’s premium retail brands and thank Marina and the board for the opportunity to now lead Adore Beauty, Australia’s number one pureplay online beauty retailer."
Laing will be on an annual base salary of $600,000, in addition to options and performance rights. This compares to the $510,000 base salary given to Morton upon her appointment in January 2023, which was broadly similar to that of her predecessor Tennealle O'Shannessy.
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