Sephora names GM for Canada amid unprecedented North American expansion
The beauty retailer has tapped a general manager from its Middle Eastern division to replace outgoing Canadian SVP and general manager Terry Yanofsky, who has retired after five years in the role.
On March 1, Gregory Bruyer took over leadership of Sephora Canada, reporting to Jean-André Rougeot, CEO for the Americas.
Bruyer arrives at a time of expansion for the beauty retailer. Last month, Sephora announced plans to open 100 new North American locations this year – double the number of 2019 openings – marking what the company says is the “largest single-year North American expansion” in its history. According to media reports, approximately 10 of the stores will be Canadian.
In a release announcing the expansion, Sephora said the stores would include a mix of retail formats, with “the primary focus being on ease and convenience for all clients.” Sephora has said the stores would focus on “local neighbourhoods and community centres” and would include a smaller, 4,000 square-foot format, designed to help it move more easily into areas outside of the mall.
Bruyer served as general manager of Sephora Middle East for the last four years. Before that, he helped launch Victoria’s Secret in markets outside of North America.
Sevaun Palvetzian takes the lead on communications and CSR at Rogers
Earlier this year, SVP of communications and CSR Terrie Tweddle announced she was leaving Rogers Communications after more than a decade at the company. As her replacement, the telco appointed Sevaun Palvetzian as chief communications officer on Feb. 24.
The title – a new one for Rogers – comes with leading communications and CSR across its various business divisions, including wireless, cable, business services, TV, radio and sports. Rogers did not specify whether Palvetzian’s new chief communications officer title comes with additional responsibilities.
Most recently, Palvetzian served six years as CEO of CivicAction, a Toronto non-profit that works to build civic engagement. She has prior public sector experience with the Ontario government.
“We’re living in a time where corporate citizenship in Canada is changing; where the footprints of corporate social responsibility are getting deeper and the levers available to the business community are being pushed in new ways,” she wrote on LinkedIn, announcing her move. “I’ve been able to see this change from a few different angles.”
Her appointment comes as Rogers and other telcos face increased scrutiny from the CRTC over what critics say is a lack of competition among Canada providers. As with other mobile carriers, the company has also been busy preparing for the roll-out of 5G, a planned upgrade to the global wireless and cellular infrastructure.
Other recent changes to the company’s leadership team include the naming of Eric Agius as chief customer officer on Feb. 3 – he previously served as SVP of consumer channels at Rogers since 2016 – and the appointment of Simone Lumsden as SVP and CMO last year.
Club Med hires marketing director as opening of first Canadian resort delayed
Jérémie Hoss will support the opening of the first Club Med resort in Canada as the brand’s new regional director of marketing and communications.
Arriving from Club Med Paris, Hoss will be based in Montreal and will oversee all aspects of the company’s marketing strategy in Canada. His mandate includes assisting with the opening of the country’s first Club Med resort in Charlevoix, Quebec, according to Amélie Brouhard, VP for Canada and Mexico at Club Med. Brouhard previously served as lead marketer in Canada before being promoted to her current role in September.
The opening of Club Med Québec Charlevoix was originally scheduled for December this year. But the company announced last September that those plans would be delayed at least one year due to labour shortages in Quebec’s construction industry.
Hoss first joined Club Med as a web product manager in 2015. He led the deployment of the company’s more than 40 websites globally and was eventually promoted to director of ecommerce. Before joining Club Med, he had prior marketing experience in the leisure, telecom and travel industries from European sports network Eurosport, Universal and French telco provider SFR.
Club Med has more than 70 premium resorts across the 26 countries in which it operates.
