German discounter Takko recruits CEO from Pandora

The position has been filled: Takko has a new CEO. Martino Pessina has already taken up his post as CEO of the German textile discounter, a position that has been vacant since the autumn. He succeeds Tjeerd Jegen, who unexpectedly left in October to join Dutch bicycle manufacturer Accell.

Martino Pessina joins Telgte from Danish jewellery manufacturer Pandora, where he previously headed up the omnichannel business as chief commercial officer. He brings to Telgte 20 years of experience in various management positions with leading B2C brands in the fashion and jewellery sector.

Before joining Pandora, Martino Pessina held a number of management positions at H&M. At the Swedish giant, as president of North America, he was responsible for operations in the United States, with sales of over four billion dollars and 20,000 employees. He got his Master of Science in International Business Management from Bocconi University in Milan. 

“I am delighted to begin my new journey with Takko Fashion and look forward to working with my new colleagues and continuing to develop this successful brand,” said Pessina commenting on his future role.

“Martino Pessina is a seasoned expert in the fashion and non-food sector with a proven track record of developing profitable growth strategies for retail companies around the world,” enthused Dirk Van den Berghe, chairman of the advisory board. “He brings an excellent understanding of the fashion value retail segment in Europe. We are convinced that he will be able to develop Takko’s increasingly successful Quality Discount business model on the European market.