Levi's hands top UK role to Diageo business director

by Alexandra Jardine,, Marketing 19-Feb-03, 14:30

LONDON - Levi-Strauss has poached Matthew Mycock, a retail specialist from Diageo, to be its UK chief.

Mycock, business unit director for Tesco at Diageo GB, leaves in mid-April to take up the role of country managing director, UK and Ireland, at Levi's. He will be responsible for UK marketing, sales and merchandising.

His background will be valuable to Levi's as it concentrates on its retail strategy in the wake of a court battle with Tesco over the right to sell discounted jeans. It is considering whether to bring Signature, its cut-price brand sold in the US through Wal-Mart, to the UK.

The UK managing director role has been vacant for over a year, although Rachel Johnson, marketing director for Northern Europe, has acted as caretaker chief. Levi's is also seeking a UK marketing manager after promoting Suzanne Gallacher to associate brand manager, Girls Red Tab.

Levi's has just launched sub-brand Type 1 Jeans and plans a series of initiatives to celebrate its classic 501 jeans.

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