Berta de Pablos-Barbier to Assume Pandora CEO Role Earlier Than Planned
PARIS — Pandora has announced that Berta de Pablos-Barbier will assume the position of chief executive officer on January 1, rather than later. At present, she serves as the company’s chief marketing officer and was originally scheduled to succeed Alexander Lacik as president and CEO at Pandora’s 2026 annual general meeting on March 11.
Lacik will stay with Pandora in a board-advisory and executive leadership capacity until the AGM. Jennie Farmer, who joined Pandora in January and currently holds the roles of senior vice president of brand experience and channels, will become CMO, succeeding de Pablos-Barbier.
Pandora said the leadership transition announced in September has progressed more quickly than anticipated and is now concluding ahead of schedule. Peter Ruzicka, Pandora’s chair, commented that the handover from Lacik to de Pablos-Barbier has been exceptionally smooth and that Farmer’s appointment as CMO enables a faster transition, signaling a new growth phase for the company.
Farmer’s background includes recent roles as chief marketing officer at furniture retailer Oka and chief commercial officer at The Office Group in the United Kingdom. Her earlier career features leadership positions within LVMH Estates & Wines, De Beers Jewellers (now De Beers London) and its Forevermark brands.
De Pablos-Barbier stated that her immediate objective is to steer Pandora through current market volatility while unlocking opportunities to transform Pandora into a more expansive jewelry brand and sustain long-term growth, with a focus on building a larger, more influential global presence.
Lacik, who became Pandora’s president and CEO in April 2019, is credited with guiding a successful company turnaround and launching the Phoenix strategy to evolve Pandora into a broader jewelry brand, extending beyond the core charm segment and strengthening the company’s sustainability initiatives.
In an interview in September, the 60-year-old Swede indicated he does not foresee taking on another major executive role.
