John Galantic Steps Down as President and Chief Operating Officer of Chanel Inc.
John Galantic, president and chief operating officer of Chanel Inc., is stepping down from his role. He plans to pursue other career opportunities.
Galantic will continue to lead the company until June 30.
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Galantic joined Chanel in 2006 as president and chief operating officer of Chanel Inc. In 2017 he took on the additional global leadership role to establish and oversee the Integrated Platform team, recently renamed Global Digital Services and in partnership with Bruno Menard, to grow Chanel.com as well as the company’s digital capabilities.
The news of Galantic’s resignation was revealed internally last Wednesday. He couldn’t be reached for comment Monday about his plans.
“During his time with Chanel, John Galantic has built the brand and the business of Chanel Inc. into a true powerhouse. In 2017, he additionally took on a global leadership role to establish and oversee the Global Digital Services (GDS) to grow our Chanel.com and digital capabilities. Under his leadership, Chanel Inc. pioneered a transformational client centric model, increasing Chanel’s owned distribution and elevating client experience as well as profitability, growing the business in all categories,” said a Chanel spokeswoman, who confirmed his resignation Monday.
Galantic led the teams driving sustainability and social commitment through initiatives such as Sunrun, the launch of Chanel Community, and the Racial Justice Fund, she said.
She noted that his successor will be named very soon.
Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman of Chanel, and Leena Nair, global chief executive officer, emailed a letter to employees last week, obtained by WWD, noting that under Galantic’s leadership, the U.S. achieved its highest ever Voice of Client scores and gained in brand equity results. The letter noted that over the years, Galantic has also championed the development of local artistic direction and arts and culture initiatives that continue to elevate the image of the brand.
Prior to joining Chanel, Galantic was president of Coty Beauty U.S., the company’s mass market firm. Earlier, the Harvard Business School graduate held senior posts at SmithKline Beecham and the Procter & Gamble Co.
When he joined Chanel, Galantic took over the responsibilities of Maureen Chiquet, who was promoted to Chanel’s global CEO. Galantic was charged with leading the strategic and operational activity for Chanel in the U.S., responsible for fashion, accessories, watches, fine jewelry, beauty and fragrance, as well as wholesale distribution and freestanding retail.
During his tenure, Galantic was involved in transforming its wholesale business into a concession model. The company began operating concession departments in its major accounts such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, a process that began in 2017 with Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship.
At the time, Galantic told WWD, “You might be wondering why, after 12 years of relative silence, am I doing a real interview. It’s a time of pretty major change here. The old saying is ‘don’t waste a crisis.’ But I look at it the other way, which is when the business is very strong and the demand very desirable, there’s much more leverage and leeway to make change.”
Galantic told WWD the reason for the switch was his wanting to have a more direct-to-client relationship with its key partners, and it would allow Chanel to service the client and communicate directly.
In the letter to employees, Wertheimer and Nair wrote, “John’s commitment to people and impact — both internal and external — defines his tenure at Chanel. The U.S. organization has grown more diverse, as seen in membership across our Employee Resource Group network.”
As a “valued, insightful member of the Global Leadership Team,” they also wrote that he launched the U.S. e-commerce platforms which carved the path for a global Chanel.com site, as well as the first Client app, extending one-on-one luxury service beyond the boutique. As a member of the Chanel board, he also helped shape the governance process given his experience on external boards.
Galantic has been a director at Bacardi, and a non-executive director at Ferrari.
“We want to thank John for his significant contributions and the quality of the teams he has built in the U.S. and Paris,” the letter noted.
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