Bergdorf Goodman Names Lanessa Elrod Its Next President

By Rebecca Stone

Bergdorf Goodman named Lanessa Elrod president in a Thursday announcement, with both executive changes effective Monday. The former Louis Vuitton Americas chief will help lead the retailer’s post-bankruptcy reset.

Tracy Margolies moves to executive adviser at Exemplar Luxury Group, which operates Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. She will report to CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck.

Who is Lanessa Elrod?

Elrod returns to the group that shaped much of her early career.

• She bought ready-to-wear at Neiman Marcus from 1997 to 2003.
• She moved to Saks as a ready-to-wear buyer from 2003 to 2005.
• She served as Bergdorf’s senior buyer for handbags and accessories from 2005 to 2010.

After Saks, she joined Louis Vuitton, where she worked in several capacities for almost 14 years before becoming president and CEO of Louis Vuitton Americas. As president and CEO, she oversaw the maison’s business across the United States, Canada and Latin America. She left Vuitton in May 2024.

The announcement credits her with leading substantial business growth and innovation at Vuitton. It also credits her with cultivating customer relationships, although the company supplies no sales, market-share or margin figures. Those claims establish the appointment rationale without establishing a measurable operating record.

What does the appointment mean for Bergdorf?

Geoffroy van Raemdonck said: “Lanessa’s appointment marks an important step in advancing our strategic priorities and further strengthening Bergdorf’s position as the pinnacle of luxury.” He described Bergdorf as an industry crown jewel and a catalyst for identifying and nurturing designer talent.

He also claimed the store could anticipate customer preferences and exceed customer desires. The executive framed the move as part of ELG’s effort to realize the full potential of its three banners.

ELG cited Elrod’s customer-first philosophy and deep industry relationships as strengths for elevating the client experience. It also said she could build on Bergdorf’s service and assortment. These are employer claims rather than disclosed performance metrics, a distinction relevant to vendor planning.

How is leadership changing?

Margolies has led Bergdorf Goodman since December 2024. Before that appointment, she served as chief merchandising officer at Saks. In her advisory role, she will work across Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. Her remit includes applying institutional knowledge and leadership experience to the group’s key priorities.

Margolies said she had spent more than 30 years in leadership roles at Saks and Bergdorf. She described building businesses, shaping brand strategy and creating customer experiences as central parts of that work. She also described leading teams through an evolving market.

She called her Bergdorf presidency a career honor and said she remained proud of the teams’ work for customers and brand partners. She said she would bring her experience, perspective and passion to the group’s next chapter. Her new position will give her a role across all three group banners.

Elrod described joining ELG as arriving at a pivotal time. She said: “I look forward to working alongside its exceptional team and our brand partners to build on that legacy and shape its next era.” She called Bergdorf’s creativity, distinctive point of view and singular place in the world of luxury central to her career.

She said Bergdorf had played a defining role in her career and that returning as president was especially meaningful. She also said she would deepen personal customer connections and bring the store’s spirit of discovery to life. The structure places Elrod in charge at Bergdorf while Margolies supports priorities across the group.

What changes after Chapter 11?

Bergdorf’s then-parent Saks Global entered Chapter 11 proceedings in January, according to the company announcement. It emerged from court proceedings last June under the new name Exemplar Luxury Group, with what the company described as a much healthier balance sheet.

Elrod was unavailable for further comment on the appointment. The announcement nevertheless gives her and van Raemdonck a remit to accelerate the business and develop strategies after the restructuring. It sets no revenue targets, hiring plans, vendor terms or timetable for execution.

For brand partners, those omissions leave questions over assortment, lead time and commercial terms unresolved. ELG presents Bergdorf as one of the world’s most elegant stores, sustained through bountiful and challenging periods. That assertion carries no accompanying performance data, so the new leadership team must establish its baseline before setting priorities.

What did the 125th anniversary reveal?

By filling its women’s and men’s stores with designer exclusives and milestone exhibits, Bergdorf turned 125 years of history into a visible, customer-facing retail activation. The displays chronicled the emporium’s creativity and glamour while encouraging customers to rediscover the store.

The program reinforces the discovery positioning Elrod cited in her announcement. It also gives Bergdorf a visible platform for its assortment, although the company disclosed no associated sales or traffic results.

For brand partners, the next test is whether Elrod and van Raemdonck can turn that visibility and the post-restructuring reset into measurable growth, with the announcement providing neither targets nor deadlines.