AWWG, the global fashion group behind Pepe Jeans London, Hackett London, and Façonnable, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Laura Fernandez Plaza, currently Chief Financial & Business Officer, as CEO.
This appointment follows several years of close collaboration between current CEO Marcella Wartenbergh, Laura, and the broader Executive Team in shaping and executing the Group’s strategic roadmap, ensuring strong continuity across AWWG’s brands, teams, and long-term vision.
Laura will assume her new role effective immediately. She and Marcella will work closely together over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am honoured to step into the CEO role at such an important moment for AWWG,” said Laura. “Over the past years, we have built a strong and differentiated platform across all our portfolio brands, operational excellence, digitalisation, and culture. I see a significant opportunity ahead and look forward to working closely with our teams to build on this momentum as we enter our next phase of growth.”
Laura brings nearly two decades of deep institutional knowledge to the role. Since joining the group in 2006, she has held several key leadership positions, including Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Finance Director, before serving as Chief Financial & Business Officer for the last 6 years. Throughout this time, she has worked closely with Marcella and the Executive Team in executing the Group’s strategic priorities and strengthening the company’s operational foundations.
Carlos Ortega, Chairman of AWWG, welcomed Laura and expressed his gratitude to Marcella: “We are very happy to appoint Laura as CEO. Her long-standing trajectory within the company and her key role in our transformation journey make her the natural choice to lead AWWG into its next phase of growth. On behalf of the Board, I would also like to express my deepest thanks to Marcella for her outstanding leadership and dedication. She has built a resilient, disciplined, and high-performing platform that is widely admired in the industry, guiding the Group through a period of profound transformation with clarity and determination.”
Since joining AWWG seven years ago, Marcella has led a comprehensive transformation of the business, redefining the Group’s strategic direction, building the platform and strengthening its foundations across all the business. In 2020, she launched the RESET strategic transformation program, establishing the Group’s five strategic priorities—Product, Brand, Distribution, Digitalisation, and People—which have since guided AWWG’s evolution into a more focused, disciplined, and globally scalable platform.
Under her leadership, the Group has significantly enhanced its operational capabilities, reinforced its infrastructure, and fostered a strong corporate culture—positioning AWWG for sustainable long-term growth.
Reflecting on this transition, Marcella said: “Leading AWWG over the past seven years has been an incredibly rewarding journey. I am proud of the transformation we have delivered together with Laura and the broader Executive Team, building a strong platform. I believe the Group is now well-positioned for its next phase of growth. This is the right moment to hand over the business to Laura, who has been my key partner in this journey and is ideally placed to lead the business forward. I look forward to supporting her over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth and successful transition.