On Thursday, the French department store group announced the creation of a new role in its organisation chart. Harold Israel will join the company on November 10 as director of specialised activities. He will report to Arthur Lemoine, chief executive of Galeries Lafayette.

Israel, who brings three decades of experience, is a luxury-industry expert. Most recently, since 2019, he has served as vice president at Berluti, with responsibility for brand image and communications, product, and the customer function; he joined the house in 2015. He began his career at Cartier in the United States before returning to France. There, he served as CEO or deputy CEO of several fashion brands, including Et Vous and A.P.C., and was managing director for Marc Jacobs in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in the early 2010s.

“The creation of this specialised activities division within the executive committee marks an important step in the evolution of our omnichannel strategy and in the modernisation of our offering,” said Lemoine in a press release.

“With the arrival of Harold Israel, we are strengthening our ability to develop strategic growth drivers for the future and to enhance the experience we offer our customers, drawing on the strength and distinctiveness of our brand. His international outlook, global vision and in-depth knowledge of our business will be valuable assets in achieving our ambitions. I wish him every success in his new role.”

Galeries Lafayette has a network of 50 stores in France, including 19 directly operated and 31 franchised locations. The network also includes eleven international stores, both open and in the pipeline, as well as an e-commerce site and Galeries Lafayette L’Outlet.