Hodinkee has appointed its third CEO in 16 months as Toby Bateman steps down to make way for Jeffery Fowler.
Mr Bateman was given the chief executive role Hodinkee in December 2020 following almost 10 years as managing director at Richemont’s Mr Porter.
He took over the position from Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer, who moved to a new role of executive chairman after investors pumped $40 million into the business.
Mr Bateman never moved to New York from London during his tenure as CEO and will continue in an advisory role at Hodinkee. “Whilst I remain based in the UK, trans-Atlantic travel requirements grow as the business grows, therefore I am stepping down from my role to focus on my responsibilities as a father and to my family,” he says.
Mr Fowler is more ingrained in American ecommerce and luxury goods.
He joins Hodinkee after six years as America’s president of Farfetch, a UK-headquartered secondary market platform for luxury fashion that went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.
FarFetch was valued at over $31 billion as recently as February 2021, but its share price has plummeted over the past year and now has a market capitalisation of $4.5 billion.
Before Farfetch, Mr Fowler worked in the primary market for luxury goods with roles at Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer and Cartier.
“Hodinkee is an exciting and rare example of a company that has successfully established award-winning content, forward-thinking commerce, and a passionate community, all in one place,” Mr Fowler says.
“With that type of strong foundation, the company’s potential for further growth is all but certain. I am incredibly excited to be the new CEO and look forward to working with such a talented group to further cement its position as a leading luxury and media company.”
