What: El Corte Inglés has put a new managing director, hired four months ago from Karl Lagerfeld, in charge of Sfera, its fashion chain of more than 500 stores, while reorganising the group's fashion division.

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés is rebuilding its fashion organisation around executives from fast fashion and international brands, as fashion becomes the group's main growth driver.

El Corte Inglés has hired Paula Jiménez Tamayo as managing director of Sfera. She joined four months ago from Karl Lagerfeld, where she spent seven years and rose to vice president of sales. She started at Inditex, with more than seven years at Tempe, before moving to Mango and then Converse in the Netherlands.

Sfera turned twenty-five in 2026 and is the group's main fashion brand, the only one with an independent distribution network. At the close of FY2025 it had 547 stores: 167 owned, 309 franchised and 71 corners inside El Corte Inglés. It operates in around twenty countries, mainly in Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The appointment coincides with a reorganisation of the fashion area. Elena Lazcanotegui now leads external and own women's brands as a single unit. She reports to Laura Moreno, head of home and fashion purchasing, alongside the men's, children's, intimates and swimwear, and Sfera directorates.

Fashion sales reached €5,882 million in FY2025. The group posted consolidated revenue of €17,247 million, up 1.14%, and net profit of €628 million, up 22.8%.

IADS Notes: The Sfera appointment follows a run of management changes at El Corte Inglés under chairperson Cristina Álvarez. In March 2026 the commercial side was reshuffled: Enrique Hidalgo was promoted to sales management director, a new country manager was named for Portugal and the purchasing department was split (Modaes, March 2026). In June, Javier Catena returned as CEO, the seventh leadership change in recent years, with every business unit now reporting to him (Modaes, June 2026). Fashion is the division being reinforced. Fashion sales rose 3.1% in FY2025-26 and the segment is described as a key growth driver, alongside a €3 billion investment plan through 2030 (Press Release, June 2026). Sfera is the group's main international vehicle. It closed FY2024 with 529 stores, owned in core markets and franchised abroad, and was preparing to launch its renovated format in Mexico. Its store and expansion strategy has been led by Ángela Goitia since late 2023 (Modaes, November 2025).