Spanish El Corte Inglés hires former Esprit executive to lead womenswear

El Corte Inglés has signed Elena Lazcanotegui, who was a member of the board of directors of the German group for five years, as the new director of women’s fashion and lingerie division “with special emphasis on own brands”, according to statements given by the department store chain to Mds.

The boost of own brands is one of the key points of El Corte Inglés in terms of fashion. The company governed by Marta Álvarez, reorganized the women’s offer at the beginning of the year, gathering the firms Antea, Yera and Zendra under the brand Woman.

During the shareholder meeting that took place last August, the group brought forward the launching of two new brands for the next year: Alik, “a proposal for a contemporary woman”, and Another Love, “romantic and feminine.”

Lazcanotegui, licensed in Business Administration for the University of Deusto, began her career in Inditex, where she worked as the sales responsible for Zara women for five years.

In 2012, the executive was part of the group of ten directives who joined Esprit from Spanish region Galicia. José Manuel Martínez Gutierrez, chief executive officer of the German company between 2012 and 2018, was the leader of all of them. Lazcanotegui worked as the director of Esprit’s youth line, EDC, and product manager in Pacific Asia.