New York – September 08, 2026 -- Exemplar Luxury Group (ELG), the luxury collective behind Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, has appointed Gretchen Koback Pursel as Chief People Officer, effective September 28.
Koback Pursel brings Chief People Officer experience from Tiffany & Co., The Wella Company and Equinox
Koback Pursel most recently served as Chief People Officer at Equinox, following the same role at The Wella Company and Tiffany & Co. Her background spans luxury retail, beauty and wellness sectors.
CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck frames the hire as pivotal for ELG's transformation
"With Gretchen's proven track record in luxury and transformation, she is the ideal leader to guide our journey and cultivate an employer-of-choice culture where we drive sustainable growth by unleashing the power of our people," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer of Exemplar Luxury Group.
New CPO succeeds Sarah Garber after 15 years of leadership at the organization
Koback Pursel replaces Sarah Garber, who is departing after 15 years of service. Garber led through the company's transformation, merger integration and financial restructuring, and helped build the foundation of its current people strategy.
Koback Pursel to design talent strategy amid ELG's rebrand from Saks Global
She will lead development of a people strategy focused on performance culture, talent attraction and retention as the company operates under its new Exemplar Luxury Group identity, formerly known as Saks Global.