NEW YORK — John Hardy, an artisan, hand-crafted jewelry brand, has named Frédéric Levy as CEO. Levy succeeds Kareem Gahed, who has served as CEO since 2019.
Levy most recently served as president of the international business unit of Alpagartas Group, where he managed the Havaianas brand globally outside of Brazil, including creating a new e-commerce platform and digital strategy to drive sales growth. From 2015 to 2020, Levy served as president and CEO at Coravin, where he accelerated the wine technology brand’s growth in the U.S. and Europe and expanded the business into new global markets. Prior to Coravin, Levy served as president of Nespresso USA for nine years.
“Throughout his career, Fred has demonstrated a remarkable talent for understanding how to drive market penetration for a variety of unique global brands,” said J. Michael Chu, global co-CEO of L Catterton and chairman of the John Hardy board of directors. “L Catterton believes there is significant opportunity for the John Hardy brand globally, and we are confident that Fred is the right leader to guide the company through its next phase of growth while staying true to the distinctive heritage that sets the company apart. We also want to thank Kareem for his countless contributions steering John Hardy during his tenure as CEO. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Gahed said, “I am pleased to be handing the reins to someone as talented and capable as Fred. With his marketing and digital expertise, Fred brings the right set of skills to lead John Hardy through the next chapter in the company’s history, and I look forward to watching the brand’s continued growth and success. I want to thank our incredible team for their inspiring and unwavering commitment to our unique mission, vision and values, which has made these past six years at the company so special.”
Levy said, “I am honored to be taking on the CEO role to drive the exciting vision for the brand forward. John Hardy has a unique and authentic artistic foundation, and I am thrilled to be working with our Creative Chairman, Reed Krakoff, and the rest of our gifted team to take advantage of the significant opportunities ahead. Together we will find creative ways to grow the John Hardy brand globally while staying true to our brand values.”