Manolo Blahnik names new chief marketing officer

Luxury footwear and accessories brand Manolo Blahnik has promoted head of marketing communications Jodie Blake to chief marketing officer. Blake joined Manolo Blahnik in 2019 as head of communications and was responsible for overseeing the London head office communications department, including the content, events, marketing, press and VIP divisions.

During her previous role, Blake worked closely with former chief marketing officer Carla Filmer on the planning and execution of brand strategy and creative activations in global territories, excluding North America and Canada.

Kristina Blahnik, chief executive officer at Manolo Blahnik, said in a statement: “With her understanding of the Manolo Blahnik business that she garnered over the past five years, in addition to the experience she has gained in her previous roles within the luxury fashion space, I believe Jodie is the perfect person to step into this role.

“I feel proud to see Jodie’s transition into a C-Suite position and pleased that as a business we are able to promote internally. It is a testament to the fact that we actively nurture and prioritise investment in our people. I very much look forward to building further on the exciting work already underway with Jodie.”

As chief marketing officer, Blake will be responsible for delivering and executing the global communications strategy for the brand under the direction of Manolo Blahnik himself and Kristina Blahnik. She is tasked with establishing “a strong brand voice and visibility in new and evolving markets,” while also overseeing new market launches and the communications strategy for the company’s ambitious growth plans in Asia, North America, and Europe.

In addition, Blake will work in partnership with Elodie Bougenault, chief commercial officer, on developing and integrating an elevated customer experience programme across all business touchpoints.

Commenting on her promotion, Blake said: “Manolo Blahnik is a truly wonderful business to work for and I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to professionally develop within the company.

“I feel deeply passionate about the company values and highly motivated to work alongside our CEO, Kristina Blahnik, and the wider leadership team to deliver our ambitions growth plans and strategic goals for 2024 and the years to come.”