• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 16, 2022

 Image above: Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson is Pandora's new CMO

Two large retailers are filling long-vacant marketing positions, with Kohl's and Pandora naming new chief marketing officers.

Kohl's says Christie Raymond is its new CMO, reporting directly to CEO Michelle Gass. Raymond has been filling in as interim CMO since May when both CMO Greg Revelle and chief merchandising officer Doug Howe left the company.

Before that, Raymond had been executive vice president, customer engagement, analytics and insights at Kohl's.

In addition to leading the overall marketing strategy, brand, creative, media, loyalty and customer analytics, she will oversee corporate communications and the Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based company's philanthropic efforts.

Her role also includes oversight of its growing Kohl's Media Network.

Pandora, the Danish jewelry company, has appointed Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson CMO. She comes from Unilever, where she is currently a global vice president, with a strong track record in fragrances, beauty, personal care and women's health. Since 2020, she's headed the turnaround of the Axe brand in more than 80 markets. And she spent more than 20 years at Procter & Gamble.

She reports to CEO Alexander Lacik and joins the executive leadership team. 

She replaces Carla Liuni, who left in March after just two years with the company. (She, too, had joined Pandora after a long career at P&G.)

Pandora is in the midst of an expansion plan it calls the Phoenix strategy, which includes expanded marketing activities.

Pandora, the world’s biggest jewelry brand, now invests between 13% and 15% of its revenue in marketing, up from around 9% in 2018. In 2020, the company added digital, data analytics and brand partnering resources.

It also beefed up its marketing staff in Copenhagen and other key markets as it launched new product lines, including Brilliance, its lab-created diamonds collection, and Pandora Me, targeting Gen Z and millennials.