Lesley, Founder & MD, heads up the Digital & Multichannel Retail, Global Luxury Brands, and Arts & Culture Practices. She specialises in recruiting CEOs, MDs and Board Directors for UK and international clients.
Prior to founding Exley Hervey in 2003, Lesley’s marketing and general management expertise, honed over 25 years, focused on the repositioning and profitable development of significant retail businesses, and global consumer and luxury brands.
Her commercial brand management skills were developed at L’Oréal, Courtaulds, International Gold Corporation and Waterford Wedgwood. She held board-level roles at Zales Jewellers, Laura Ashley and Alexon Group. In 1993, she became Selfridges’ Marketing Director where she helped drive the department store’s masterplan transformation, showcasing the world’s best luxury brands.
As Global Marketing Director for Tencel, (Courtaulds/Akzo Nobel), she pioneered the international expansion of this mould-breaking fibre. She held Consultant board-level roles at Baird Group, and at Added Value (part of WPP Group). In 2001 she became Managing Director of the Retail Practice at Executive Search Company, Bird & Co.
Lesley, a French and Italian speaker, has an Honours Degree in Politics and Modern History, from Manchester University. She is a Freeman of the City of London in The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. She is a Trustee of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A). She is a Committee Member and a former President of The Twenty Club (Retail networking organisation). She is a Director of Bath in Fashion; a former President of The Fashion Group International (FGI), and a Member of Women in Advertising & Communications London (WACL).
