Womenswear retailer Hobbs has hired John Lewis fashion buying director Meg Lustman as chief executive, filling the role left vacant by Nicky Dulieu.

Lustman, who joins Hobbs after less than a year at John Lewis, will join the private-equity backed retailer in August.

Before joining John Lewis, Lustman spent more than a decade with Aurora Fashions, working in roles such as managing director of Warehouse and executive director of Mosaic Fashions, where she worked on corporate strategy and business development across Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse.

Lustman takes over from Dulieu, who stepped down from the role this spring after five years at the helm.

Hobbs chairman Phil Wrigley said: “Meg’s extensive background in leadership roles in women’s fashion makes her ideally positioned to steer Hobbs through its next phase of growth and international development. Meg is energetic, passionate and her inspirational leadership will be invaluable as Hobbs makes its mark as an international retail brand.”

Lustman said: “Hobbs is a brand with a rich heritage and I look forward to leveraging the company’s successes to develop the brand’s global reach.”