Dive Brief:
- Neiman Marcus Group alum Kevin Gotthard was appointed as CFO, North America at WHSmith, a brand of the British retailer WH Smith PLC, which operates stores in airports and other travel hubs, the company announced on Nov. 30.
- With the appointment, Gotthard is moving from the luxury retail space to the convenience space, as he previously held executive finance roles at luxury retailer Neiman Marcus for three and a half years as well as at the luxury brand Ralph Lauren for over eight years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
- In a statement the newly-minted finance chief said he was looking forward to working with the team to support rapid growth. “The opportunity to capture market share and execute the deep pipeline of already won new stores, as well as win tenders for new shops and concepts is incredible,” Gotthard stated.
Dive Insight:
Most recently, Gotthard was with Neiman Marcus — owner of high-end department stores and brands like Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call and Horchow. Gotthard headed Neiman’s financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team from June 2019 until November 2021, before moving on to become its CFO during his last year with the company.
Prior to taking on the financial helm of Neiman Marcus, Gotthard spent some time at another luxury brand, Ralph Lauren, where he was vice president of finance for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Gotthard began his financial career in Deloitte in 2002 as an audit manager.
WHSmith is one of the many brands under WH Smith PLC and is operated under Marshall Retail Group and InMotion Entertainment.
The global retailer is planning on continuing its expansion streak. It has plans to open 150 new stores across 16 countries and various airports including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Brussels, Belgium, Oslo, Norway, and Melbourne, Australia, the company said.
For the year ended Aug. 31, WHSmith reported $1.7 million in revenue, up from $1.1 billion int the year prior, according to a company announcement on Nov. 10.
