Erica Berchtold Becomes First Female CEO of David Jones

Australian department store retailer David Jones has appointed Erica Berchtold as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to lead the company in its 188-year history. Effective immediately, Erica succeeds Scott Fyfe, who guided the retailer through significant challenges and transformation over the past five and a half years. Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment as David Jones accelerates its strategic transformation and seeks to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive retail landscape.

Key Highlights:

• Erica Berchtold becomes the first woman CEO in David Jones’ 188-year history
• Former CEOs of The Iconic and Mosaic Brands bring over 20 years of retail leadership experience
• She will lead the next phase of David Jones’ INSPIRE30 transformation plan and growth strategy

Erica joined David Jones as Chief Commercial Officer in May 2025 and quickly established herself as a key contributor to the retailer’s transformation agenda. During her tenure, she played an important role in enhancing merchandise operations, strengthening supply chain capabilities, and supporting broader business modernisation initiatives. Her elevation to CEO reflects the board’s confidence in her ability to lead the retailer into its next phase of growth.

With more than two decades of experience in Australia’s retail sector, Erica brings extensive leadership experience and a strong reputation for delivering commercial growth, customer-centric innovation, and organisational transformation. Before joining David Jones, she served as Chief Executive Officer of Mosaic Brands, overseeing one of Australia’s largest specialty fashion retail businesses through a highly competitive market environment.

Prior to that, Erica led THE ICONIC as CEO, where she helped accelerate digital growth, strengthen customer experience capabilities, and reinforce the company’s market leadership across Australia and New Zealand. Her experience in digital commerce and omnichannel retailing is expected to play a significant role in David Jones’ future strategy.

Earlier in her career, Erica spent more than seven years with Super Retail Group, serving as Managing Director of Rebel, Amart Sports, Infinite Retail, and Goldcross Cycles. During this period, she oversaw substantial business growth, with revenues increasing from approximately AUD 600 million to AUD 1 billion. She also led improvements in customer engagement, employee experience, store network expansion, and omnichannel retail capabilities.

Her professional journey also includes senior leadership roles at Specialty Fashion Group, Rebel Sport, and Harvey Norman, giving her deep expertise in merchandising, marketing, operations, brand management, and business transformation.

As CEO, Erica will focus on advancing David Jones’ five-year INSPIRE30 transformation strategy. Her priorities include improving operational efficiency, strengthening the retailer’s commercial portfolio, enhancing customer experiences, accelerating digital innovation, and revitalising the David Jones brand. She has also emphasised the importance of aligning the company’s strategy with customer expectations while delivering decisive, results-driven leadership.

Her appointment coincides with a strengthened financial position for David Jones following a refinancing agreement that provides greater flexibility to support growth initiatives and supplier partnerships. Despite recent financial challenges, the retailer has reported encouraging signs of recovery, including growth in same-store sales, rising online revenue, and improved earnings performance.