The Lycra Company names new co-CEOs

The Lycra Company has announced the appointment of its chairman Yafu Qiu and chief commercial officer Julien Born as its new co-CEOs.

It follows the retirement of David Trerotola, who has been at the helm of the innovative textile company since 2019 following its acquisition by Ruyi Group. He spent 20 years at the business overall.

Taking his place, in part, is Yafu Qiu, who will take on the new position while continuing his role as chairman. In his co-CEO role, Qiu will focus “on the company’s relationships with key stakeholders, board governance matters, strategic planning, and capital structure adjustments, including the strategy and timing of an initial public offering”.

The other half of the CEO role will be taken up by the company’s chief commercial officer Julien Born, who will “lead the overall operations of the company and implement its ambitious growth vision”.

Born joined the business back in 2007 and has led its apparel business since 2018, where he managed the global commercial organization, helped strengthen R&D and innovation capabilities, and oversaw manufacturing assets.

The Lycra Company said the joint-CEO structure is intended to better implement the company’s new strategic development plan for the next five years and will tap into each leader’s experience and skills in their respected areas.

Qiu said in a statement: “The Lycra Company is faced with many new challenges in a fast-developing world. We are taking this opportunity to appoint Mr Born and other new management team members to work on a new strategy to further build our brand franchises, expand manufacturing capacity, develop more impactful innovations with our global value-chain partners, lead the industry in sustainability, and accelerate our digital transformation.

“I am confident that the new management team will be able to further strengthen the leadership role of The Lycra Company in the apparel and personal care industries.”

Born commented: “I am excited for the opportunity to lead a tremendous team of colleagues at The Lycra Company who are focused every day on creating value in the industries we serve via our unique brand portfolio, high-quality products, unparalleled innovation capabilities, and our global network of partners.

“I look forward to a close partnership with Chairman Qiu and the Ruyi Group to further develop our manufacturing capacity and accelerate the growth of our business, especially in China.”

Image: Lycra