Agent Provocateur names Kurt Geiger's Ryan as new CEO

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 21, 2020

Agent Provocateur has a new CEO with the upscale lingerie brand naming Michelle Ryan to its top post. Ryan had been buying and supply chain director at fast-expanding footwear retailer Kurt Geiger.

Her CV also includes a strong line-up of major names over the past 20 years, including an executive VP role at Diane Von Furstenberg, being a senior VP at Jimmy Choo, head of UK sales and travel retail worldwide for Burberry and VP of wholesale America for Saint Laurent.

The lingerie brand is owned by Four Holdings in which Frasers Group has a 25% stake. Four acquired the struggling company for £30 million in 2017 and last November, it posted results for 2018 that showed it was still loss-making but that its losses were shrinking. 

Agent Provocateur, which is creatively directed by Sarah Shotton at present, has seen a number of major leadership team changes and Ryan’s appointment comes after joint MD Sandra Mertens-Lustig left the firm to take the helm at Lulu Guinness. The company’s other joint MD, Kerry Neill, has been promoted to chief commercial officer and will report to Ryan.