Inditex talent turns global: Where are Amancio’s disciples?

Just like in football, big teams bet for the best players, in fashion, giants chase talent in the leading companies. In the sector, a lot of international companies seek for executives trained in Inditex to lead their helms. Adapt the business model, or transfer formulas are some of the reasons why companies go hunting for executives in the Spanish giant. But where are Amancio’s disciples now?

José María Castellano was one of the first executives that worked hand in hand with Inditex founder. He was the first CEO Amancio Ortega trusted to lead Inditex. Castellano took over in 1997 replacing Ortega.  

During this stage as the second leader of the Spanish giant, he lead the global expansion of the group, with landings in new markets, the launch of Bershka, Zara Home and Oysho, and the acquisition of Stradivarius and Massimo Dutti and when Inditex was listed in the stock exchange in 2001.

After leaving the group in 2005, Jose María Castellano joined the board of several international brands such as Fadesa, Kiluva or Millenium. In fashion, the executive joined the board of Esprit in 2014, where another former Inditex, José Manuel Martínez Gutiérrez was CEO. Castellano was part of Inditex board of directors up until last May. The executive continues in the sector through Puig, where he is a member of the board since 2014.

José María Castellano was one of the executives that worked hand in hand with the founder

Another former executive of the Spanish giant that counts with a long trajectory in international fashion companies and that occupies a chair in several boards of direction is Víctor Herrero.

The executive, that created part of its professional career in Inditex was responsible of the business in Asia Pacific and managing director in China, and was named CEO of Guess in 2015, when the group accumulated three years on the low. During his time on the lead, he managed to reduce the lows, rearranged its retail network by strengthening multibrand and focusing on the online.

After he left the American group, the executive joined the board of directors in G III Apparel Group, owner of Donna Karan and licensor of brands like Calvin Klein or Levi’s. He also signed as a board member for the British Clarks and Rocket Internet.

Víctor Herrero developed big part of his career in Inditex, where he was responsible of Asia Pacific 

After leading Bershka for six years, the Italian Diesel bet for the know how of Marco Agnolin. In 2017, the company owned by OTB, signed the executive, that was a CEO of the group up until last March.

Store director for Zara in Spain and Portugal and managing director of Lefties up to 2013. Ramón Gago spent most of his career in Inditex, up until 2013, when he signed for the Brazilian Riachuelo as director of innovation.

The executive remained three years in the Brazilian company, up until 2015, when he returned to Spain to join the lead in Cortefiel and Pedro del Hierro. A year later, Gago left the company for personal reasons.  

Now the executive leads in Spain the commercial network of an industrial Bangladesh group. He is in the head of I Garments Design society, based in A Coruña, that designs and manufactures for retail giants.

Ramón Gago leads in Spain the commercial network of an industrial Bangladesh group

José Manuel Martínez Gutiérrez is another frontrunner that built his career in Inditex, and one of the biggest talents for fashion on a global scale. Martínez was director for Zara in Scandinavia and later responsible for distribution and operations. In 2012, the executive joined Esprit with the goal of guiding the company through a transformation and bring it back to the growing path. For that, Martínez surrounded himself with executives such as Elena Lazcanotegui, José Antonio Ramos, Juan Antonio Chaparro and Rafael Pastor, all former Inditex.

The executive was CEO of Esprit up until March 2018, when the group announced his departure. However, the executive continued in the sector and he joined Bimba y Lola as CEO to lead the company’s new stage.

 Costas Antimissarias is CEO of the Lo Mónaco group since last December

Another big name in the former Inditex executives’ group is Costas Antimissarias, that has also been part of the helm of international fashion groups.

The executive, CEO of Lo Mónaco group since December 2018, started his career in the Spanish giant. Between 1998 and 2007 he was the head of the business in Greece, also adding Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary from 2002 to 2005.

Between 2007 and 2009, he was managing director of Zara in Spain and then kept the same position in Uterqüe up until 2011. In 2014 he signed for Marks&Spencer as director for the international department.

The executive left the British giant in 2016 and started conversations with Adolfo Domínguez to join the group as CEO, but at the end the operation didn’t succeed. Soon after, the executive joined the German Douglas in September 2017.