Biography
Joann Cheng is the former chairman of Lanvin Group, formerly known as Fosun Fashion Group, and senior assistant president of Fosun International. The group’s acquisition of storied French fashion house Lanvin put Cheng — also the chairman of the Lanvin board — under the spotlight as the industry awaited the label’s revival.
Cheng is a graduate of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and holds an EMBA from the China Europe International Business School. She began her career at accounting firm KPMG. Prior to Fosun, she worked as the group chief financial officer at drone maker DJI and held positions at GE Capital, TPG and Allyes.
As executive president of the Lanvin Group, which was created to manage the fashion portfolio of multinational company Fosun International — whose total assets exceed $80 billion — Cheng led fashion assets including St John Knits, Caruso, Wolford Tom Tailor. In February 2018, Fosun acquired a majority stake in Lanvin, introducing a leadership shake-up, where long-time owner Shaw-Lan Wang relinquished control and Jean-Philippe Hecquet was appointed chief executive. In January 2019, the Lanvin appointed former Loewe creative director Bruno Sialelli to lead the brand's creative turnaround.
In October 2021, Fosun Fashion Group rebranded as Lanvin Group. Lanvin Group’s investors included Japan’s Itochu Corporation, a trading and textile company, Chinese footwear giant Stella International and private equity firm, Xizhi Capital from October 2021.
In December 2023, Lanvin Group announced that Cheng would step down as both chairman and CEO of Lanvin Group to pursue new endeavours outside the group.