New York, United States and Tokyo, Japan
Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) today announced the appointment of Edouard Roche as President of Impact 21 Co., Ltd. Mr. Roche will join Polo Ralph Lauren on February 18th, 2008. In this new role, Mr Roche will be assuming responsibility for the strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the Polo Ralph Lauren business in Japan.
As President of Impact 21, Mr. Roche will replace Tadao Enomoto, effective May 1st, 2008. Mr. Enomoto today announced his plan to retire at the end of April, 2008, which is consistent with plans discussed at the time of the tender offer for Impact 21.
Mr. Roche will report to Scott Bowman, Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation President of International Business Development. In addition, Toshio Hiyama, President & CEO of Polo Ralph Lauren Japan Corp., the Japanese Master Licensee and a 100% owned subsidiary of Polo Ralph Lauren, will continue to report directly to Scott Bowman. On Mr. Enomoto's retirement, Scott Bowman will also assume responsibility for the role of Chairman of Impact 21.
Mr. Roche, who is fluent in Japanese, has significant experience in the luxury goods industry, having worked for the last 17 years at L'Oreal and prior to that, at Guerlain. He most recently held the position of Worldwide General Manager of Redken 5th Avenue and prior to that he was Worldwide General Manager of Shu Uemura Cosmetics K.K., based in Tokyo.
"We would like to convey our deep gratitude to Enomoto-san for his contribution to Impact 21 and the Polo Ralph Lauren brand over the past 22 years, and to thank him for his support in helping Impact 21 integrate into the Polo Ralph Lauren family," said Roger Farah, Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation President and COO.
"We are very happy to welcome Edouard Roche to Polo Ralph Lauren. With his successful track record in the luxury goods industry both in Japan and abroad, we look forward to his contribution in our second largest market," said Roger Farah, Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation President and COO.
"Over the past 22 years, I have strived to introduce the Polo Ralph Lauren lifestyles to Japanese consumers. I am a huge fan of Polo Ralph Lauren and I greatly appreciate the opportunity I have had to oversee the company's operations in Japan. I am also very appreciative of the support offered to me by Roger Farah and others at Polo Ralph Lauren. With this new management team in place, I believe the Japanese business will continue to grow," said Tadao Enomoto.
Edouard Roche added: "I am delighted to join Polo Ralph Lauren at such an exciting stage in the company's development in Japan. I look forward to joining an excellent team and to working with them to further accelerate the growth of the Polo Ralph Lauren brand in Japan."
Note to Editors
About Impact 21
Established in 1984, Impact 21 is a majority owned subsidiary of Polo Ralph Lauren. It manufactures and sells apparel from the Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Polo Jeans brand collections. Impact 21 employs approximately 300 people. In May 2007 Polo Ralph Lauren acquired a 97.3 percent stake in the company through a tender offer.
About Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 40 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, RRL, RLX, Rugby, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, American Living, Chaps and Club Monaco, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to http://investor.ralphlauren.com.
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)