John Hooks

John Hooks, aged 62, is an Independent Director of the Company. He has been in the luxury fashion industry for over 35 years and has held positions in some of the sector's most influential companies. After graduating from Oxford University, he entered the fashion industry through Gruppo Finanziario Tessile (GFT) in Turin, Italy. For three years he was commercial director for the prêt-à-porter collection of Valentino. From 1988 to 1994, based in Hong Kong, he was responsible for the establishment of GFT's regional subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia as well as in mainland China (in 1988, the first major foreign fashion company to establish a direct presence in that country). From 1995 to 2000 he was Commercial and Retail Director of Jil Sander in Hamburg, Germany. In 2000, Mr. Hooks joined Giorgio Armani as Group Commercial and Marketing Director, considerably expanding the company's global wholesale and retail network. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of the Giorgio Armani Group. From 2011 to 2014 he was Group President of Ralph Lauren Europe and the Middle East. Mr. Hooks is currently CEO of Pacific Global Management (PGM). He is also on the board of Miroglio Fashion and is a senior advisor to McKinsey & Company.