Background & Operating Record

Operating
Profile

System-building Consumer CEO and Non-Executive Chair with two decades scaling founder-led and investor-backed businesses across consumer, luxury, beauty and lifestyle.

About Adam

System-building Consumer CEO.
Non-Executive Chair.
Global Operator.

Adam Kakembo, Consumer CEO and Non-Executive Chair

Adam Kakembo has two decades of executive experience across consumer, luxury, beauty, fashion and lifestyle.

His record spans scaling Aesop from $380m to $700m revenue, significantly increasing HIDN‑ANDER's revenue as CEO ahead of exit, contributing to EBITDA improvement at Scotch & Soda and improving operating contribution at Wrangler from 9% to 14%.

He currently chairs PACT, the venture-backed biomaterials company supported by HV Capital and Forbion, and advises businesses across founder-led, investor-backed and transformation-stage contexts.

His work sits at the intersection of brand, product, channel economics, governance and commercial operating discipline.

Black and white cockpit image showing a pilot's hands, a tablet briefing and flight instruments during preparation — Ukraine Air Rescue Mission 2022.
Ukraine Air Rescue Mission 2022 Photo: Peter Hamelinck
Calm at Speed began as an operating philosophy shaped as much by aviation as by boardrooms and brand building.
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Selected Operating Mandates

Executive Leadership & Board Roles

Selected mandates across founder-led, investor-backed and publicly listed businesses navigating scale, transformation, founder transition and organisational complexity across consumer, luxury, beauty and technology. The work sits at the intersection of creative discipline, commercial rigour, governance alignment and international growth inside high-pressure operating environments.

Executive Leadership
HIDN-ANDER Chief Executive Officer

Materially increased revenue ahead of the brand's sale in 2025.

Aesop Global Chief Product & Marketing Officer | General Manager

Instrumental in scaling revenue from $380m to $700m.

Scotch & Soda Global Chief Marketing Officer · Executive Team

Contributed to EBITDA improvement from €52m to €59m.

Wrangler Vice President · Product, Brand, Creative, E-commerce & Marketing · EMEA & Asia

Improved operating contribution from 9% to 14% and repositioned the brand via award-winning campaigns.

Non-Executive & Advisory Roles
PACT Non-Executive Chair

Chairs governance, strategic sequencing and commercialisation alongside the founder of the venture-backed biomaterials company supported by HV Capital and Forbion.

LN-CC / The Level Group Board Advisor

Advises on the evolution of LN-CC and The Level Group across luxury retail, cultural positioning and future growth strategy at the intersection of commerce, media, wellbeing and experiential retail.

Sonae Fashion Division Board Advisor

Advised Sonae's fashion division across Salsa Jeans, MO and Zippy, supporting strategic growth, brand positioning and commercial development across the portfolio.

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Selected Recognition

Awards & Creative Honours

Adam has received recognition across creativity, effectiveness, digital innovation and brand building, including honours from Cannes Lions, Eurobest, Clio, The One Show, the Webby Awards and the Effies. The breadth of this recognition reflects a rare ability to connect original thinking, cultural relevance and commercial effectiveness.

  • Cannes Lions Grand Prix alongside Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions across Cyber, Print and Integrated categories
  • Eurobest Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards across Print, Outdoor and Digital
  • Clio Awards
  • The One Show
  • Webby Awards
  • WGSN Global Fashion Awards: Most Innovative Digital Initiative
  • Drapers Marketing Initiative of the Year
  • Cristal Awards
  • Golden Egg Awards (Guldägget)

Jury & Industry Contribution

Adam has chaired the Jury at the Euro Effie Awards, which recognises marketing effectiveness and ideas that work, and served as a Judge at Cannes Lions, the global benchmark for creative excellence in marketing and communications. Taken together, these appointments signal a rare client-side perspective on the full arc of modern brand building: creative quality, strategic effectiveness and commercial return.

Cannes Lions Grand Prix — Adam Kakembo
Image: Cannes Lions