Saks Global has filled a crucial position for the luxury retailer’s recovery.
Cheryl Han has been named chief marketing and digital officer, a newly created position at Saks Global that will have her overseeing end-to-end marketing strategy and execution, including customer engagement and messaging, and leveraging data-driven insights to generate personalized experiences. End-to-end marketing means the entire marketing process including planning, messaging to consumers to raise brand awareness, social media, analysis and loyalty initiatives.
In addition, Han will be responsible for the e-commerce businesses for the Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman “owning the P&L, while leading the customer-facing digital experience to drive engagement,” Saks said in a statement provided WWD.
“By bringing these functions together, we have one leader that will ensure marketing and digital
come together to build loyalty and engagement to drive sales in service of an omnichannel
experience,” Saks Global said.
Previously, Han served as chief digital officer and senior vice president of customer strategy at the Neiman Marcus Group where she led the e-commerce business, performance marketing and built out customer relationship management capabilities, “driving loyalty transformation and embedding a more robust customer practice into the business,” Saks Global said.
Han will report to Darcy Penick, president and chief commercial officer of Saks Global,
who oversees customer-facing functions. Saks also indicated that Han will work alongside chief executive officer Geoffroy van Raemdonck and the company’s broader management team.
By bringing the two functions together, Saks Global has one leader who will “ensure marketing and digital come together to build loyalty and engagement to drive sales in service of an omnichannel
experience,” Saks Global stated.
With Han’s appointment, chief marketing officer Kristin Maa and senior vice president of digital Emily Nahas are both departing the company.
Saks Global also disclosed that chief customer officer Kimberly Miller will be leaving the company. She has been serving as chief customer officer and before that, she was president of Saks Off 5th, which is closing 57 stores while leaving 12 open, and discontinuing its e-commerce operations.
Saks Global purchased the Neiman Marcus Group in December 2024, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last month after missing a key interest payment on the $2.2 billion in bonds it sold to close the acqusition. The retailer secured $1.7 billion in debtor-in-possession financing to see it though bankruptcy.
Regarding Han’s appointment, van Raemdonck said: “We are continuing to take deliberate, focused actions to position Saks Global for sustainable, profitable growth. By investing in best-in-class digital and marketing capabilities, we are building a more resilient company primed for continued long-term leadership in luxury retail.”
Van Raemdonck was formerly the CEO at NMG where he worked with Han. He is leading the turnaround effort and developing a restructuring plan that would involve store closings and reversing negative sales trends while driving the company’s ongoing transformation, furthering integrating the Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus operations. It’s up to him and his team to reassure vendors that they’ll get paid and that Saks Global has a viable path forward. Van Raemdonck has eight senior officials reporting directly to him.
Penick stated: “As we build a strong future for Saks Global, marketing and digital are key to bringing our strategy to life. They shape how customers discover our brands, how they engage with us over time, and
how we deliver the level of luxury, service and experience they expect from us, no matter how
they choose to shop. Cheryl is a proven leader with extensive expertise in these areas, and
bringing our strengths in marketing and digital together under her leadership allows us to move
strategically, think more holistically, and build deeper, more enduring relationships with our
customers.”
Han added: “This is a defining moment for Saks Global, and I’m excited to return at a time when there’s so much opportunity ahead. Our focus is on delivering a seamless, highly personalized experience every time customers engage with our brands, and marketing and digital are essential to delivering on that promise. Bringing these pillars together will strengthen execution and create a more connected experience for our customers as we position the business for the long term.”
