Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Group has confirmed interim chief legal officer (CLO) Tom Mattei as its permanent legal chief.

Mattei had been serving as interim CLO since the departure of Hannah Kim last month for data analytics and market research business Circana.

He joined Dallas-based NMG in 2020 as assistant general counsel and assistant corporate secretary, and also served as the company’s chief compliance officer. As CLO, Mattei will oversee strategic legal and risk-related initiatives, loss prevention and matters of corporate governance. 

He will continue to report to chief executive Geoffroy van Raemdonck who highlighted Mattei's “deep understanding of our business as a former public company general counsel and brings a wealth of experience to this role”.

Mattei commented: “Since joining the company in 2020, I’ve seen firsthand the great progress we’ve made in our growth strategy to revolutionize luxury experiences. I’m excited to continue my journey with NMG in this role and work alongside our incredible team.”

NMG owns Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, which offer luxury apparel, accessories, jewellery, beauty and decorative home products. The company also owns online luxury furniture store Horchow, and Last Call clearance centres. Since September 2021, it has been owned by a group of investment companies led by Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Sixth Street Partners and Pacific Investment Management

Before joining NMG, Mattei led the legal, risk management and property management departments at Farmer Brothers, a Nasdaq-listed food manufacturer and distributor, a position he held for six years. He began his legal career in 1999 as an associate at Latham & Watkins in its Los Angeles office.

Kim, meanwhile, had held the CLO role at NMG since 2021. As Circana’s CLO, she will oversee global corporate legal, compliance and privacy functions, in addition to serving as secretary to the board. Circana formed last year through the merger of Information Resources and NPD Group. The combined business, valued at $8bn, works with 7,000 retailers and brands, including Unilever, Conagra, Sephora and McDonald’s, according to its website, and aims to be the world’s leading adviser on consumer trends and buying habits. 

Kim replaced Susan Bennett, who spent nearly a decade in-house at IRI, first as GC then as CLO, a role she took up after the merger in March 2023. Circana said Bennett had decided to step down to spend more time with her family.

Kim previously worked with battery maker Energizer Holdings, where she was legal chief for four years. She also spent two years as assistant GC for Bank of America and eight years as associate GC and deputy chief compliance officer for Lowe’s.