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Pandora CEO to Retire in 2026, Hand Reins to CMO
Alexander Lacik has led Pandora since 2019. Berta de Pablos-Barbier will succeed him, the first woman to head the company.
Pandora President and CEO Alexander Lacik, left, will step down in March 2026. Chief Marketing Officer Berta de Pablos-Barbier, right, will take over as president and CEO.
Copenhagen, Denmark—Pandora announced this morning that President and CEO Alexander Lacik, who led the jewelry company’s turnaround and ushered in a period of stability, will retire in early 2026.
The company’s chief marketing officer, Berta de Pablos-Barbier, will take over as president and CEO.
The 60-year-old Lacik joined Pandora in early 2019 with 30 years’ experience in the consumer goods sector.
He was tasked with executing back-to-back two-year turnaround plans, “Progamme Now,” and “Phoenix.”
“Programme Now” focused on cutting costs and stabilizing sales for the then-struggling company.
The aim of “Phoenix” is to get consumers to see Pandora as a full jewelry brand, not just a company that sells charm bracelets, a shift that Pablos-Barbier has been instrumental in orchestrating.
Pablos-Barbier came on board as CMO and a member of Pandora’s executive leadership team in November 2024.
As CMO, Pandora said she has successfully led its positioning as a full jewelry brand, infusing its product assortment and marketing with innovation and helping the company’s brand awareness reach an all-time high.
Pablos-Barbier is a Spanish national who has 30 years of international executive experience.
Before joining Pandora, she was president and CEO of LVMH-owned champagne brands Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon, and Mercier; chief growth officer of Mars Wrigley; CMO of Lacoste; and vice president of marketing and communications Kering-owned Boucheron.
Pablos-Barbier will be the first woman to lead Pandora.
She said she is honored to succeed Lacik as CEO.
“Under his leadership, Pandora has become an iconic global brand, and we have charted a path to sustained growth for years to come as an accessible jewelry company,” Pablos-Barbier said.
“Even though we are the largest in our industry, Pandora still holds significant untapped potential, and I am excited to work with our amazing organization and lead the company in this next chapter.”
Related stories will be right here …
The company’s chief marketing officer, Berta de Pablos-Barbier, will take over as president and CEO.
The 60-year-old Lacik joined Pandora in early 2019 with 30 years’ experience in the consumer goods sector.
He was tasked with executing back-to-back two-year turnaround plans, “Progamme Now,” and “Phoenix.”
“Programme Now” focused on cutting costs and stabilizing sales for the then-struggling company.
The aim of “Phoenix” is to get consumers to see Pandora as a full jewelry brand, not just a company that sells charm bracelets, a shift that Pablos-Barbier has been instrumental in orchestrating.
Pablos-Barbier came on board as CMO and a member of Pandora’s executive leadership team in November 2024.
As CMO, Pandora said she has successfully led its positioning as a full jewelry brand, infusing its product assortment and marketing with innovation and helping the company’s brand awareness reach an all-time high.
Pablos-Barbier is a Spanish national who has 30 years of international executive experience.
Before joining Pandora, she was president and CEO of LVMH-owned champagne brands Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon, and Mercier; chief growth officer of Mars Wrigley; CMO of Lacoste; and vice president of marketing and communications Kering-owned Boucheron.
Pablos-Barbier will be the first woman to lead Pandora.
She said she is honored to succeed Lacik as CEO.
“Under his leadership, Pandora has become an iconic global brand, and we have charted a path to sustained growth for years to come as an accessible jewelry company,” Pablos-Barbier said.
“Even though we are the largest in our industry, Pandora still holds significant untapped potential, and I am excited to work with our amazing organization and lead the company in this next chapter.”
The company said her appointment follows a “diligent” global CEO search process for an executive to succeed Lacik.
“The board is delighted that Berta de Pablos-Barbier will be Pandora’s next CEO. Together with Alexander Lacik, we brought her on board as a possible CEO candidate, and during our search she stood out as the clear number one,” said Peter Ruzicka, chair of Pandora’s board of directors.
“She is a visionary leader with great analytical skills and a perfect mix of experience from top brands across luxury, fashion, and fast-moving consumer goods. She is the right person to lead our continued growth.”
Lacik officially will step down in March 2026 at the company’s annual general meeting.
During his tenure, Panora noted that revenue has increased by 45 percent, while the company’s global workforce has expanded from 24,000 to 37,000 employees, a 54 percent increase.
“After more than 30 years leading global brands and seven years in charge of Pandora, the time has come for me to retire and spend my energy elsewhere,” he said.
“Leading Pandora has been the greatest experience of my professional life, and I am extremely proud of the results we have achieved.”
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