Practice Group

apparel, fashion & luxury Executive Search

Global sales leadership and supply chain expertise from Asia, in one search.

Brands in apparel, fashion and luxury are decided in two places at once: with customers in Europe, the Americas and Asia, and in the factories, ateliers and logistics chains of Asia. We search for the leaders who master both. Most of them are not looking.

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FOCUS AREAS

Global sales leadership across wholesale, retail, e-commerce and key accounts

Sourcing, production and supply chain leadership based in Asia

Direct access to passive leaders in Hong Kong, Shanghai and the European fashion hubs

Our edge

Two worlds, one search

Few search firms cover both ends of a fashion business. We do, because our team sits where the product is made and where it is sold.

Sales

Global sales leadership

Growth in apparel, fashion and luxury depends on leaders who can build wholesale and retail partnerships, run key accounts and open new regions, from Europe to North America and Greater China. We identify commercial leaders with a proven record in premium and luxury environments, including those who have never answered a job advertisement.

Supply chain

Supply chain from Asia

Quality, lead times, compliance and sustainability are won or lost in the supply chain. From Hong Kong and Shanghai we reach heads of sourcing, production and quality in China and across Southeast Asia, and the regional managers who run sourcing offices and factory relationships on the ground.

Catherine Zhou, Director Ertler Executive Search Asia

Your contact for this practice

“Fashion is won twice: with customers in Europe, the Americas and Asia, and in the supply chain behind every collection. We find the leaders who master both.”

Catherine Zhou

Director, Ertler Executive Search Asia Ltd. · Hong Kong

Catherine covers Hong Kong and South China together with Brant Burke and works on projects in Shanghai and across Asia. She has helped European companies build their Asia teams and supported Chinese companies in developing their overseas business.

Your contact in Europe

Robin Weihager

Managing Director International · Graz

Robin supports brands and manufacturers in Europe and the Nordics and works together with Catherine on searches that span both markets.

Typical mandates

Roles we search for

Sales and supply chain leadership for fashion, apparel and luxury brands, manufacturers and retailers.

Chief Sales Officer / Global Head of Sales

Leaders who run wholesale, retail, e-commerce and key accounts across several continents.

Head of Wholesale and Key Accounts

Senior commercial profiles with strong department store, specialist retail and distributor relationships.

Managing Director Greater China

General managers who build or turn around a brand’s presence in Hong Kong, mainland China and the region.

Global Head of Sourcing

Executives who steer sourcing strategy, supplier portfolios and cost across Asian production countries.

Head of Supply Chain and Production Asia

Operators who manage factories, lead times and logistics from a regional hub.

Head of Quality, Compliance and Sustainability

Leaders for audits, traceability, social compliance and the rising demands on product and supplier transparency.

Start the conversation

Have a leadership gap in sales or supply chain?

We know the candidate landscape in Europe and Asia. Reach out to discuss the role, confidentially.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. That is the core of this practice. Our team in Hong Kong and Shanghai and our offices in Europe and New York work on one mandate, not two. We find the sales leaders who can open and run markets across Europe, the Americas and Asia, and the supply chain and sourcing leaders who know the factories, the audits and the lead times behind every collection.

Heads of sourcing, production and quality, supply chain directors, and regional managing directors who run sourcing offices and manage key factories across Greater China and Southeast Asia. These people are rarely on the market. We reach them through direct, confidential outreach and a network built in Hong Kong and Shanghai over many years.

Yes. Chinese and other Asian apparel, fashion and luxury companies often need a first senior team in Europe or North America, from a country manager to a head of wholesale. We help them find leaders who understand both the brand and the local market.

First qualified profiles within 14 days of the mandate briefing is our standard across all searches. Because sales and supply chain roles in this sector are tightly linked, we review the brief together with you before the search begins, so the profile fits the real commercial question.