LONDON — Marie Leblanc, who helped transform Victoria Beckham Ltd. into a profitable lifestyle brand, is stepping down as chief executive officer.
Leblanc is returning to France to be with her family, the company said. In the interim, Ralph Toledano, chairman of Victoria Beckham Ltd., will act as CEO until a successor is named.
“Marie will be very missed,” said Toledano. “She executed and achieved an exceptional turnaround for the brand and has prepared it for an accelerated growth. I want to take this time to thank and congratulate her wholeheartedly.”
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Leblanc joined the company in 2018 as product director before taking up the CEO role a year later. She oversaw a full brand repositioning, and the shift to showing seasonal collections during Paris Fashion Week.
Victoria Beckham, founder and creative director, described Leblanc as “the most incredible partner and CEO, and I am so grateful to have had such a strong, intelligent and inspiring woman by my side.”
Beckham said the two have been through “an incredible journey together; fighting fires side by side, exchanging passionately about design and product, and never losing sight of our common goal — to build a beautiful brand and profitable business. I’m so excited about this next phase that we are in, which she has been such a crucial part of, and wish Marie the best of luck with her own next chapter.”
David Belhassen, founder and managing partner Neo Investments, which has a significant minority stake in the business, said Leblanc “nailed it” as CEO.
“The turnaround of the brand is excellent, the acceleration has started, and the brand has become very desirable. Marie has led this journey in brilliant partnership with Victoria and Neo. I wholeheartedly wish Marie all the best in her very promising career,” he added.
Leblanc said she’s proud of the work she did as CEO over the past five years, “putting creative at the core and bringing together Victoria’s aesthetic and brand DNA.”
She said Victoria Beckham Ltd. “has maintained high standards, delivers quality products and drives customer engagement. I am very confident the company is on track to reach new heights.”
As reported, the company saw revenue and profits rocket in 2023, with the company reporting “substantial” growth in wholesale, online and in its Mayfair flagship.
It reported a 52 percent uptick in total revenue to 89.1 million pounds compared with the previous year. Last year was the third consecutive period of high-double-digit growth.
According to the company, sales momentum has continued into 2024 across all product categories, and despite lackluster demand in the luxury market.
In 2023, adjusted EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, reached 1.8 million pounds, compared with 200,000 pounds in 2022.
When results were published in August, Leblanc said that following a repositioning in 2021, 2023 was “a very strong year of progress for the company. We continue to build a loyal consumer following on the back of successful Paris Fashion Week shows and new partnerships, with performance across direct-to-consumer channels and leather goods being particularly positive.”
