Mario Grauso, previously president of Joe Fresh, has been appointed president of Holt Renfrew & Co. Ltd.

Grauso was at the Loblaw Companies division for three years, including two as president. He will remain with Joe Fresh until September, with his successor to be announced before that time.

Grauso is filling the role of Holt Renfrew’s outgoing president, Mark Derbyshire, who is stepping down after seven years to pursue other opportunities, according to a press release. 

“I want to thank Mark for his significant contribution to Holt Renfrew over the years,” W. Galen Weston, chairman of Selfridges Group, said in a press release. “Under his leadership, the business has enhanced its iconic status as a world class retail brand and a leader in the Canadian market. We wish Mark every success and all the best in his future endeavours.”

Both Holt Renfew and Loblaw Companies are owned by the Weston family.

While Grauso was at Joe Fresh, the brand launched e-commerce, added footwear and beauty lines, and streamlined its apparel assortment. The company says it remains Canada’s second-largest apparel brand.

“After a two-year transformation, improving almost every aspect of the business, Mario and the team have Joe Fresh in the right place,” Galen G. Weston, executive chairman and president of Loblaw Companies Ltd., said in a separate press release. “The business has an exciting future based on the new standards we’ve set for superb style, strong branding, better product, and industry-leading financial performance.”

Grauso was previously president of Vera Wang from 2009 to 2013, and held senior executive positions at Céline, Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein. From 2004 to 2009, he was president of Puig Fashion, the parent company of Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci and Paco Rabanne.