LONDON – Paul Smith has been beefing up its management team over the past year and the newest appointment is Zia Zareem-Slade as managing director.

Zareem-Slade was most recently chief executive officer of the London fine jeweler Annoushka, where she led the brand’s growth agenda, expanded wholesale distribution and accelerated digital development.

She has previously held senior executive roles at Fortnum & Mason, Hauser & Wirth, and Selfridges.

The brand said her appointment reflects “the personal commitment” of chairman and founder, Sir Paul Smith, to the continuing transformation of the business. She will play a pivotal role in its continued evolution, “with a particular focus on digital acceleration, commercial performance and customer experience,” it added.

Smith, who’s turning 80 in July and plans to mark the milestone later this year, said, “I’ve always believed that the best businesses are built on curiosity and originality. Zia gets that. I’m looking forward to what we’ll do together.”

Zareem-Slade described the brand as “one of the last truly independent British fashion houses. That independence runs through everything the business does; the creativity, the wit, the refusal to follow. I am looking forward to working with the team to build on that foundation, and to accelerate what the brand can do digitally and commercially.”

Ewan Venters, who became executive chairman of Paul Smith last year, said, “Zia brings a valuable combination of commercial, digital and creative expertise. She has a wealth of experience in delivering growth for important, brand-led businesses, and she will undoubtedly play a key role in the continuing success of Paul Smith.”

As customer experience director at Fortnum & Mason, Zareem-Slade led the transformation of the brand’s digital offering during a sustained period of commercial growth, delivering significant improvements in online performance and customer reach, according to Paul Smith.

She oversaw the successful launch of new retail destinations at Heathrow Terminal 5, The Royal Exchange and St. Pancras International, establishing Fortnum & Mason in some of the U.K.’s highest-profile consumer locations.

At the art gallery Hauser & Wirth, she served as chief creative officer, leading global creative, marketing and digital teams. She also championed Art for Better, an online auction that raised $4.6 million for the UNHCR, and provided strategic leadership across publishing, editorial and emerging digital platforms.

Zareem-Slade and Venters share a similar professional background. Venters served as CEO of Hauser & Wirth and Fortnum & Mason. He has also held leadership roles at retailers including Selfridges.