John Lewis taps YNAP's Vikki Kavanagh as commercial director

British department store John Lewis has appointed Vikki Kavanagh as chief commercial officer, a role she will take up from April and in which she will report to Peter Ruis, executive director of the retailer.

She joins the company from Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP) Group, where she had served as managing director of both Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter. Prior to this, she had held senior buying and merchandising roles at department stores like House of Fraser, Fenwick and Harvey Nichols.

Speaking on her appointment, Ruis pointed to Kavanagh’s “extensive experience and proven leadership in the retail sector”, adding: “Her strategic vision and commercial acumen will be instrumental as we continue to evolve and enhance our customer offering."

In her own statement, Kavanagh said: "I'm incredibly excited and proud to be joining John Lewis, which is a brand I’ve admired for many years. John Lewis has a unique opportunity to redefine the UK omnichannel retail experience and I'm looking forward to working with the team to deliver an exceptional offer for our customers."

Kavanagh succeeds Kathleen Mitchell, who announced her exit from John Lewis on February 6 in a LinkedIn post that stated she had “decided to embark on a new chapter”. Mitchell had been in the position of commercial director for John Lewis since September 2021, after previously serving in varying senior positions at L’Oreal, Stella & Dot and Accessorize.