Aaron Faraguna, the chief executive of Best & Less, has resigned after less than a year in the role to become the new chief operating officer of Brand Collective, a retail business owned by billionaire Larry Kestleman. Faraguna, who previously worked at JD Sports, joined Best & Less, which is owned by Brett Blundy and Ray Itaoui, in January. He will commence his new position at Brand Collective in November.
Brand Collective is a footwear, fashion retailer, and wholesaler. The company owns Shoes & Sox and Elka Collective, and it also distributes major international brands such as Superdry and Reebok. Its DesignWorks business is also a significant supplier to Best & Less. According to reports, Faraguna’s departure from Best & Less is amicable.
Brand Collective chief executive David Thomas, who previously worked with Faraguna for six years at David Jones, expressed enthusiasm about the appointment. “Our business is growing fast, bringing someone in of Aaron’s capability and experience will help accelerate our growth moving forward,” Thomas told The Australian Financial Review. “Aaron joining Brand Collective is another important part of building a great team here.”
Thomas brings extensive experience to Brand Collective, having worked at Country Road and David Jones for 18 years. Before joining Brand Collective, he served as the CEO of Brandbank, owned by Peter Lew, for four years.
