Mango announced on Wednesday the appointment of Marlies Hersbach as chief people officer, effective January 2027. She will succeed David Payeras, who will leave the company at that date to take on new professional challenges.
Currently the Spanish group's online and customer director and a member of the executive committee, Marlies Hersbach will report directly to chairman and chief executive officer Toni Ruiz. She will be responsible for the entire human resources department.
A Dutch national, Marlies Hersbach joined Mango in 2020 as international retail director, after working for French companies such as Kiabi and Pimkie. In 2024, she became executive e-commerce director, before being appointed chief online and customer officer and joining the executive committee in July 2025. With this appointment, Mango is once again promoting an executive from within its own ranks.
Toni Ruiz justified this choice by the wish to bring the company culture closer to the group's strategy. « Avec Marlies Hersbach à la tête de notre département des ressources humaines, nous souhaitons aligner encore davantage notre culture d'entreprise et nos valeurs sur notre stratégie et les besoins de notre entreprise », he said. He added that this appointment « souligne aussi notre ambition de développer davantage Mango en tant qu'entreprise internationale » and that it « représente quelque chose qui nous tient particulièrement à cœur : promouvoir les talents internes et renforcer la place des femmes aux postes de direction. »
For her part, Marlies Hersbach welcomed « un nouveau défi passionnant », which she said she looks forward to « avec impatience ». She noted that her previous roles at Mango have « permis de constater à plusieurs reprises que ce sont les personnes qui font la différence : nos équipes, leur collaboration et notre culture d'entreprise commune », adding that she wants to « construire sur cette base ».
According to Mango's statement, David Payeras will ensure a smooth transition with his successor over the coming months, working closely with her to oversee the handover of responsibilities and guarantee continuity of ongoing projects.
A broader strengthening of retail management
This appointment comes amid a broader strengthening of Mango's retail management. Last month, the group had already promoted Katarzyna Niemirowicz Majtas, who joined the company in early 2026 as international retail director for Northern Europe and who has more than twenty years of experience in international retail, to the position of chief retail officer, as Mango plans to open 15 new stores in the United Kingdom this year. One illustration of this momentum took place at Eastgate Square, in Chester, where Mango opened a 6,200 square foot store, its second location in the region.
