Mario Grauso, formerly president of Vera Wang, was hired by Joe Fresh as CEO and charged with the mission of growing the business and expanding the apparel brand internationally.
Beyond his daily managerial duties, Grauso will also pursue strategic partnerships and establish and operate retail outlets in foreign markets. Currently, Joe Fresh products are distributed only in North America.
Joe Mimran, President of Joseph Mimran & Associates Inc., is creative director and founder of the Joe Fresh brand, which is owned by Loblaw Cos, a Canadian firm.
Grauso will report to Mimran.
A major challenge facing Grauso as the new CEO is the firm’s association with troubled retailer J.C. Penney. The big retailer has been losing customers and bleeding cash after a turnaround effort failed. Some 700 J.C. Penney stores sell Joe Fresh apparel in stores-within-stores.