Luggage retailer Strand has just appointed former Cue CEO Melanie Remai to a newly created executive role – chief product and marketing officer.
Remai’s hiring comes as Strand prepares for its centenary year in 2027, marking 100 years in business.
According to Strand, the new c-suite role brings design, product, planning and marketing together under one vision for the first time.
Remai brings more than 25 years of international retail leadership to the role, having held senior positions across the likes of Calvin Klein, Gap Inc., Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as Australian labels under APG & Co.
Most recently, Remai served as general manager of Trenery under the Country Road Group, where she repositioned the brand for premium growth, before being appointed CEO of Cue Clothing Co. and Veronika Maine in 2025.
Strand CEO Felicity MacGahan said it is a transformational time for the industry, adding that the pace of change driven by the macro environment and artificial intelligence means leaders who thrive will the ones who embrace it.
“Strand is in the middle of the most significant transformation in our history – across our retail network, our digital flagship, our technology and our brand portfolio,” McGahan says. “Mel brings a rare combination of global brand expertise and commercial instinct, and she's exactly the partner we need to bring product, marketing and customer experience together as one story.
“I couldn't be more excited for what we'll build together.”
Remai said it was the chance to help shape Strand's next chapter, while honouring what's made it successful for its first hundred years, that drew her to the role.
“Strand has an extraordinary Australian heritage, a loyal customer base and a strong foundation to build from,” Remai said. “Great fashion brands know how to evolve — they understand what makes them distinctive, but they're never afraid to challenge themselves and respond to how their customers are changing.
“My ambition is to make Strand even more relevant, desirable and distinctive across product, brand and customer experience, in-store and digitally. I couldn't be more excited about the journey ahead.”
According to Strand, Remai’s appointment comes amid key changes at the national retailer, including new store formats, digital and AI-led capability, and pushes in its private labels across a network for 240 stores in Australia and New Zealand.
Remai’s new position comes weeks after she stepped down from the CEO role at Cue, which fell into voluntary administration last week after a struggling sell-off process by the company’s owner Hilco Capital.