Exemplar Luxury Group has hired Gretchen Koback Pursel, an experienced human resources executive in the luxury, beauty and wellness sectors, as its new chief people officer.
Koback Pursel has held chief people officer positions at Tiffany & Co., The Wella Company and, most recently, Equinox. She joins the Exemplar Luxury Group on Sept. 28.
“I am pleased to welcome Gretchen to the Exemplar Luxury Group Management Team at a pivotal time for our organization,” Geoffroy van Raemdonck, ELG’s chief executive officer, said in a statement Friday. ELG, formerly Saks Global, emerged from a six-month Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last June as a streamlined company with a healthier balance sheet and new owners.
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“Our colleagues are the heartbeat of ELG. By empowering our people to realize their full potential, we in turn will realize the full potential of our company,” van Raemdonck added. “With Gretchen’s proven track record in luxury and transformation, she is the ideal leader to guide our journey and cultivate an employer of choice culture where we drive sustainable growth by unleashing the power of our people.”
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ELG indicated that Koback Pursel’s “expertise leading global teams through transformation, designing strategies to attract and retain top talent and fostering high-performing cultures will be an asset to the company in its new era as Exemplar Luxury Group. She will be tasked with developing and leading a people strategy that fosters a culture of performance to energize and empower individuals and the collective team to drive results.”
Koback Pursel, in her statement, said she is joining the group and its luxury retail banners “at an incredibly important time for the company with tremendous opportunity ahead.” ELG operates Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman.
“I look forward to partnering closely with the leadership team to build a people strategy rooted in belonging, that empowers our teams, defines what culture means to ELG and enables the organization to thrive as we define the future of luxury retail,” Koback Pursel said.
Koback Pursel succeeds Sarah Garber, who decided to leave the organization after 15 years. “Garber played an instrumental leadership role through the company’s transformation merger integration and financial restructuring, while establishing a strong foundation for its people strategy and future growth,” ELG indicated.