Dinesh Mehta, Designer Parfums CEO

UK-based Designer Parfums has announced several organizational changes. The company, which recently acquired the fragrance licence of Cerruti 1881 and has reportedly sold the Jean Patou house to LVMH, aims to streamline operations and expand its geographical footprint. Its portfolio of brands includes Ghost, Hawaiian Tropic, Jennifer Lopez, Manish Arora, Naomi Campbell, Playboy and Cerruti amongst others.

Santiago Alvarez is to be appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Most recently he served as Global Commercial Director for niche brands Penhaligon’s and L’Artisan Parfumeur, after having held leadership positions at Puig, including markets such as China, Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa.

"Santiago understands global sales, go-to-market strategy, brand development and operations, and has a proven track record of capturing the growth potential of beauty brands in multiple distribution channels across diverse geographies," highlights Designer Parfums CEO, Dilesh Mehta.

Parag Vidyarthi has been a key part of the Designer Parfums team for more than 10 years, now as Joint Managing Director, and has been instrumental in building our business and reputation in the market.

Arkesh Shah has been confirmed into the Leadership team as Joint Managing Director, after having advised Designer Parfums for several years, most recently as a strategic consultant to haircare brand Frédéric Fekkai, following a distinguished career in Investment Banking.

"We are very proud of what our team has accomplished during these years, and their hard work and commitment makes us confident that this group of people, with the right leadership, can take on additional challenges. We are delighted to formally bring Arkesh into Designer Parfums having led the acquisition of Playboy and Cerruti, to now oversee their integration into our business," adds Mehta.

As part of the company’s determination to further develop exciting brands, Designer Parfums is to appoint Pascale Fontaine as Global Marketing Director.

Fontaine spent her last 17 years at Coty where she served most recently as Global Vice President of Adidas Fragrance and Body Care.