adding that he would be a significant boon to the group, which owns the brands Peter Alexander, Smiggle and Just Jeans. “Richard is unquestionably one of the best retailers in Australia, having delivered significant growth, transformation and shareholder value during his career at the JB Hi-Fi Group,” Lew said. “Richard’s appointment continues Premier’s track record of recruiting and retaining the best executives in the industry.” Former RM Williams boss to take on Country Road CEO role Woolworths Holdings has appointed former RM Williams boss Raju Vuppalapati to head the Country Road Group, which includes the brands Country Road, Witchery and Mimco. Vuppalapati, who spent six years as RM Williams CEO, said he is delighted to be joining the group and to be working with a portfolio of some of Australia’s most iconic and most loved clothing and lifestyle brands. “It is a great business, and I am looking forward to working closely with the talented CRG team,” Vuppalapati said. “This is an incredibly dynamic time in retail and I am excited by the opportunities ahead.” Vuppalapati’s appointment was announced seven months after Country Road Group’s CEO Scott Fyfe stepped up to lead department store David Jones, another Woolworths Holdings-owned company.  Vuppalapati previously worked at Levi Strauss & Co. across India, Japan and Singapore, before finishing up at the business as regional managing director in charge of the business’ operations in Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the Middle East. Love, Bonito appoints first CEO Singaporean wmenswear brand Love, Bonito has appointed chief operating officer Dione Song as its first CEO in its 11-year history. Co-founder Rachel Lim hired Song in 2018 as the company’s chief commercial officer, eight months after they met at a networking event. Lim said Song has been instrumental in elevating the business from startup to scale-up and from a regional business to a global brand. “Under Dione’s leadership, I’m excited about our road ahead, as we continue to push boundaries and make a larger dent in the world,” Lim said in a LinkedIn post. “As co-founder, I’ll still be partnering with Dione and actively involved in the day-to-day running of the business, with a focus on design, product assortment and brand marketing.” Before joining the brand, Song held roles including managing director at online fashion retailer Zalora and as head of e-commerce at Sephora in Australia and New Zealand.