Lacoste supply chain specialist moves to Gymshark

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jan 19, 2023

Supply chain specialists have become more of a key business appointment in recent times and Gymshark has snapped up "a great fit". The sports apparel brand has appointed Laurent Madelaine as its first ever Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO).

Joining from Lacoste, Madelaine will be responsible for sourcing, supply chain and logistics, while also overseeing Gymshark’s quality control and sustainability strategy, “ensuring the brand sources product from the right places to make the best product”.

He spent over five years at Lacoste, latterly as Executive Vice President of Operations. He was responsible for overseeing manufacturing, sourcing, supply chain (including logistics & distribution) and sustainability, as well as being part of its executive committee. Prior to Lacoste, he also held roles at Sears, Carrefour and Tesco.

Gymshark founder and CEO Ben Francis said: “We’re committed to creating the best possible product, but it absolutely has to be sourced from the right place. Laurent is the perfect person. His sourcing experience, which has taken him all over the world, combined with the importance he places on community makes him an incredible addition to the team. And his expertise within both retail and fashion will bring an invaluable new layer to our supply chain. I can’t wait to see what he brings.”

Madelaine added: “I’ve long been an admirer of Gymshark and what [founder] Ben and the team have built in such a short space of time. The parallels between my and Gymshark’s passion for community were instantly evident. I’m incredibly excited to play my part in making Gymshark the most iconic British brand on the planet.”

Gymshark has been busy on the executive appointment front with Madelaine being joined by Mat Dunn (previously with ASOS) as CFO, John Douglas joining from Burberry as Chief Technology Officer and Carly O’Brien joining from The Very Group as VP of Marketing.