On October 7, it was announced that Marie Leblanc, the CEO of Victoria Beckham, would be stepping down from her role to return to France and spend more time with her family.
The news of her departure was a surprise, especially since it followed just one week after the brand showcased its latest collection at Paris Fashion Week. No successor has been named yet, and in the interim, Ralph Toledano, Chairman of VBL (the group overseeing Victoria Beckham), will act as CEO.
Leblanc joined VBL in 2018 as Product Director and was promoted to CEO in 2019. During her tenure, she led the brand from being in the red to profitability, with annual sales more than doubling. In 2023, the company reported total revenues of £89.1 million, marking three consecutive years of growth. One of her major achievements was the successful repositioning of the brand, including the transition from London Fashion Week to Paris Fashion Week.
In a statement, Victoria Beckham said, “Marie has been the most incredible partner and CEO these past five years and I am so grateful to have had such a strong, intelligent and inspiring woman by my side. We have been through an incredible journey together; fighting fires side by side, exchanging passionately about design and product, and never losing sight of our common goal – to build a beautiful brand and profitable business. I’m so excited about this next phase that we are in, which she has been such a crucial part of, and wish Marie the best of luck with her own next chapter.”
Chairman Ralph Toledano added, “Marie will be very missed. She executed and achieved an exceptional turnaround for the brand and has prepared it for an accelerated growth. I want to take this time to thank and congratulate her wholeheartedly. Marie is sure
to have a most brilliant career ahead of her.”
Reflecting on her time as CEO, Leblanc shared, “I am very grateful to Victoria, the Board and our Chairman, Ralph Toledano, for the opportunity to lead the company as CEO during the last five years. Together, with the support of NEO and thanks to the commitment and hard work of the incredible VB team, we have crafted a full new Brand value proposition and turned around the business. This was a milestone, and I feel extremely proud of the work we have done; putting creative at the core, and bringing together Victoria’s aesthetic and Brand DNA, with high standards quality products and driving customer engagement. Thank you again to Victoria and our amazing team, I look forward to seeing what you continue to achieve, and I am very confident the company is on track to reach new heights.”
David Belhassen, Founder and Managing Partner of NEO Investments, also praised Leblanc’s achievements, stating, “From day one when Marie started at Victoria Beckham as Product Director, we felt that she had the CEO potential in her. We took the risk, and she has nailed it! The turnaround of the brand is excellent, the acceleration has started and the brand has become very desirable. Marie has led this journey in brilliant partnership with Victoria and NEO, and I want to take this time to thank and congratulate her. We can now take off and I wholeheartedly wish Marie all the best in her very promising career.”