Fairweather named as Burberry CFO successor

Carol Fairweather has been appointed Chief Financial Officer at upmarket clothing retailer Burberry, an update issued by the company on Thursday has disclosed.

Fairweather, who has been with Burberry for six years - most recently as Senior Vice President of Group Finance, will take up the position ahead of the group's annual general meeting in July 2013.

Prior to joining Burberry, Fairweather held senior finance positions at News Interntional and Shandwick.

She succeeds Stacey Cartwright, incumbent Burberry Chief Financial Officer, who is stepping down to to pursue other interests before the end of July.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, the group reported that John Smith had been appointed as Chief Operating Officer. The group stated that the position - which was newly created - reflected the "evolution of the executive team to support the next phase of growth".

Prior to his appointment at Burberry, Smith was Chief Executive of BBC Worldwide.

Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer of Burberry, said: "We thank Stacey for her dedication, commitment and partnership as we have worked to transform Burberry in recent years and for her outstanding personal contribution to improving the operational and financial infrastructure of the company. We wish her well in the future.

She added: "We are delighted that one of her key partners, Carol Fairweather, will succeed her in the role of Chief Financial Officer. Carol's deep understanding of the Burberry business and brand, coupled with her strong leadership and financial skills, position her uniquely to drive continued success in this role, while ensuring a seamless transition."

She added: "We are thrilled to announce John's appointment to the new position of Chief Operating Officer, which is an important step in the next phase of Burberry's development."

MF