design:retail - April 2017 - 42

042

↑ Lombardi led concept
development for
one-of-a-kind
destinations, such as
this Istanbul store.

Photo and rendering
courtesy of DASH DESIGN

job redefining what Godiva looked like at retail and
was the driver of Godiva's award-winning new
store design. He believes that under her direction,
Godiva was showcased in a new, more contemporary, brand-enhancing way. "She brought a practical
business perspective to the design, and sales improved because of the new concept," he adds.
As a global brand, Goldman describes the challenge of dealing with the numerous perspectives and
voices from across the world. "Everyone at Godiva

Jack Hruska

APRIL/MAY 2017

Alfredo Paredes

DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

GLOBALSHOP.ORG

has a strong opinion and an incredible passion for
the brand," Goldman says. "Linda was respectful
of everyone. She listened to all voices and then took
leadership in driving a perspective that was respected by all. That amount of trust and respect from the
team says a lot about Linda and the way she works."
The recipe for success for Lombardi, as witnessed
by colleagues such as Goldman and Jankowski, is her
combination of visual and business acumen, as well
as her strong communication and leadership skills.

Ralph Pucci

2011

2010

2007

2008

2009

Godiva, Lombardi has worked in men's fashion,
home furnishings, hospitality and the culinary
world of chocolate.
With more than 25 years in the industry working for a prestigious list of global brands, she has a
long list of accolades and accomplishments. During her close to 14 years with Liz Claiborne, she was
at one point dealing with more than 40 brands under one corporate umbrella. In 2012, Lombardi was
recognized as a Retail Design Influencer and as a
Luminary in 2013 as part of design:retail's Portfolio Awards. Under her leadership, the Godiva retail
store and visual merchandising efforts were recognized multiple times for design excellence.
Lombardi's accomplishments with Godiva are
particularly noteworthy, as she has helped change
the global face of the brand. She guided the company's entrance into emerging markets, such as Abu
Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and China. Since
2010, she has overseen the design and opening of 68
boutiques in Mainland China, including flagships
in Shanghai and Beijing. She also led the concept
development for one-of-a-kind Godiva destinations
in Istanbul, Harrods in London and New York. Her
colleagues are highly complimentary of her contributions to the success of this global brand.
"I met Linda as head of visual for Liz Claiborne;
I actually recruited her for Godiva," says Ed
Jankowski, CEO of airport retailer XpresSpa and
formerly senior vice president, head of North
America for Godiva when Lombardi was brought
on board. "Godiva needed a new head of store and
visual, and in a five-year period, she single-handedly
developed a new store prototype and rolled it out
around the world."
Jim Goldman, who was the CEO at Godiva from
2004 to 2014 (and currently is senior advisor for
Eurazeo, on the board of directors of Domino's Pizza
and an investor and board member with Sugarfina),
was immediately impressed from the moment he
hired Lombardi. "She lived up to my expectations,"
Goldman says. "Linda did so much for Godiva. She
enhanced our retail presence and our brand stature."
According to Goldman, Lombardi did a terrific

Tom Beebe

Denny Gerdeman

http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM http://www.GLOBALSHOP.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - April 2017