Geoffroy van Raemdonck will replace Karen Katz as CEO of the luxury fashion retailer, effective Feb. 12.

NORTH AMERICA–The Neiman Marcus Group has tapped Geoffroy van Raemdonck to serve as the company’s chief executive officer as Karen Katz, current president and CEO, retires. Katz will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors.

Moving forward, Katz and van Raemdonck will work closely to facilitate a seamless transition process. In addition, the appointment is part of a long-term leadership succession planning process, which the company as established to ensure continued growth and evolution.

Prior to joining Neiman Marcus, van Raemdonck was the group president for EMEA and global travel retail at Ralph Lauren, where he led the transformation of all Ralph Lauren brands across full and off-price stores, wholesale and digital. He also served as chief executive officer at St. John Knits International as well as held a variety of global leadership roles at Louis Vuitton from 2008 to 2013.

“As CEO, Karen helped establish Neiman Marcus as a digital leader in luxury fashion and retail and put the company on a path for long-term growth,” says David Kaplan, chairman, board of directors, Neiman Marcus. “We are extremely grateful for her vision and significant contributions, which have spanned over 30 years at the company, including the last seven as CEO, and look forward to continuing our work together on the board.

“We are thrilled to welcome Geoffroy to Neiman Marcus and look forward to extending the company’s positive momentum under his leadership,” continues Kaplan. “He is a global industry leader and business builder with exceptional vision and energy. The entire board is confident that Geoffroy’s leadership will add significant value to the Company, our partners and our customers.”

Van Raemdonck’s appointment will take effect Feb. 12.