Burberry CEO is out after company warns about its profit
CNN
British luxury brand Burberry is replacing its chief executive following another disappointing quarter in which sales plunged more than 20%.
British luxury brand Burberry is replacing its chief executive following another disappointing quarter in which sales plunged more than 20%. Jonathan Akeroyd is leaving Burberry with “immediate effect,” the company said in its earnings release Monday, and replacing him with Joshua Schulman, a luxury wear veteran that has held CEO roles at Coach and Michael Kors. Akeroyd had spent just two years in the role. A global slowdown on spending on luxury goods has also forced Burberry to issue a profit warning, and it scrapped its dividend. The stock slumped 17% in midday trading on the London Stock Exchange. In a blunt assessment, Burberry chairman Gerry Murphy called the 168-year-old brand’s quarter “disappointing” and the luxury marketplace is “proving more challenging than expected.” “We are taking decisive action to rebalance our offer to be more familiar to Burberry’s core customers whilst delivering relevant newness,” Murphy wrote. “We expect the actions we are taking, including cost savings, to start to deliver an improvement in our second half and to strengthen our competitive position and underpin long-term growth.” Burberry, which is best known for its trenches and purses, is going to shift its focus on targeting high-end spenders and offer “broader everyday luxury” items. It also plans to launch a new website in August.
Nippon Steel is expected to re-file its application for a national security review by American regulators of its $15 billion takeover bid of US Steel, sources familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday, buying Japan’s largest steelmaker an additional 90 days to close its acquisition of an American rival after political opposition emerged in an election year.
So far, the attacks that targeted Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah members through their pagers have had devastating consequences. At least nine people, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed, and at least 2,800 were wounded. Over 150 of those injured are in critical condition, according to the Lebanese health minister.