EXCLUSIVE: Versace Adds Caroline Deroche Pasquier to Executive Team
Seasoned communications executive Caroline Deroche Pasquier has joined Versace as vice president, global communications, effective Monday.
Deroche Pasquier joins the Italian fashion house from Bottega Veneta, where she held the role of global communications director for the past three years.
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She is the latest addition to Versace’s senior leadership team as it pursues a brand elevation strategy.
Over the past year, the house has added a number of seasoned, mostly female, executives with expertise across communications, marketing, visual merchandising, digital, omnichannel, IT and innovation.
“With these leadership changes, we will continue to drive the transformation strategy, elevating the brand with a consumer, creative and innovation-driven approach,” Emmanuel Gintzburger, Versace’s chief executive officer, told WWD exclusively. “This group of purposeful leaders, who have extensive international experiences and an entrepreneurial spirit, will take the brand to the next level together.
“I am extremely pleased that Versace has attracted these top-tier industry professionals to guide the brand in its next phase of growth and profitability,” he added.
Key hires quietly made over the past year include:
Georgina Scholtens-Day, who became vice president, global marketing and communications, digital and customer journey. Previously, she was at Zegna, most recently as its vice president, marketing and communications for the Americas. She started her career in PR and communications at Gucci and Saint Laurent.
Valeria Breda, named vice president, global innovation and IT. Previously she was chief product and partnerships officer at Hedoine, a direct-to-consumer fashion-tech start-up focused on the legwear market. Breda started her career at Louis Vuitton in Paris and the U.K., later taking on management information systems roles at Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.
Giorgia Carastro, who is Versace’s new vice president, digital and omnichannel. She started her career in finance and the private equity sector, later joining Kering in omnichannel roles, including as Gucci’s global digital product director.
Stefania Lacarenza, vice president, visual merchandising, has done visual merchandising for brands including Gucci, Prada and Miu Miu.
Fabio Colacchio, who became vice president, brand transformation and strategy. Previously, he worked for consultancy Bain & Company as a partner and senior leader of its global fashion and luxury practice. He started his marketing career at Procter & Gamble.
The majority of the new hires report to Gintzburger.
A French national, Deroche Pasquier has held a variety of roles in public relations, marketing and communications on both sides of the Atlantic.
Before Bottega Veneta, she was chief marketing officer at Stella McCartney in London, and before that senior vice president of global public relations and brand communications at Coach in New York.
She has also worked in Paris as global communications director at Givenchy at the time of Riccardo Tisci, as well as at Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent.
Versace has also quietly installed a number of new regional presidents over the past 10 to 12 months.
The new Americas head is Karis Durmer, perhaps best known for her nine years as CEO of Altuzarra, building up the American designer Joseph Altuzarra’s international profile and business footprint. Most recently she was CEO of the Americas for Scotch & Soda.
The EMEA region has been entrusted to Julien Bertic, who joined a year ago from beauty brand Byredo, where he was head of ByProduct, meaning non-cosmetic categories. He is perhaps best known for his seven years at Saint Laurent, rising to the position of worldwide retail merchandising director. His resume also includes stints at Dior Homme and Kuwait luxury retailer Villa Moda.
Sung Kun An is now Versace’s president for the APAC region. He had joined Versace in 2017 as senior vice president of Jeans Couture and licenses. His past roles include CEO of the Americas for Bottega Veneta, and he has held senior buying roles at Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Prada.
Pasquale De Santis now holds the president title at Versace Japan Co. and Versace Korea Co. He brings more than 25 years experience helming European brands in Asian regions, including Salvatore Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana. He has also been Saint Laurent’s general manager for Korea and a retail sales director for Fendi in Japan.
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