Burberry CMO Sarah Manley to exit following Christopher Bailey departure
More change is afoot for Burberry, with its longtime chief marketing officer Sarah Manley set to depart the business following on from the recent exit of former creative director Christopher Bailey.
Manley joined the luxury brand in 2001 one month after Bailey
Manley, who joined the luxury brand in 2001 one month after Bailey, has announced her resignation internally according to a report from Fashion Network. It's believed she will leave the business in July.
The Drum has reached out to Burberry for a statement on the matter and clarification on how the company plans to fill the role. At the time of writing there was no response.
Manley initially started as vice-president of global public relations for the fashion house and has held several roles over the past 17 years including senior vice president of marketing and comms.
She has been the brand's marketing lead since 2010, spearheading Burberry's early foray into the digital space which saw it live-stream catwalk shows and take to Snapchat before its rivals. Throughout her tenure the brand has launched a number of glossy campaigns featuring the likes of Sienna Miller and Cara Delevingne.
The news comes less than a week after Burberry’s chief creative officer, and one-time chief exec, Christopher Bailey presented his last collection during London Fashion Week.
Bailey is poised to bow out for good in December 2018, having been credited with turning the brand into a global fashion marque and building up its digital and e-commerce presence. Burberry has yet to announce a replacement for the creative.
The firm's new chief executive Marco Gobbetti, who joined last July, revealed plans in December to transform Burberry into an even more upmarket brand.
During an investor call Gobbetti announced plans to shutter some department store outlets in the US and EMEA and up prices on some produce to "sharpen" Burberry's brand position.
The company, he argued, must "respond to customers who want fashion and newness".