JOSHUA SCHULMAN MOVES TO COACH AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

New York-based accessories and lifestyle brands Coach, Inc. has announced the appointment of Joshua Schulman as president and chief executive officer of the Coach brand, effective June 5.

In this newly created role, Schulman will be responsible for all aspects of the brand globally, reporting directly to Victor Luis, chief executive officer of Coach, Inc. This new leadership structure follows the 2015 acquisition of Stuart Weitzman and is an important step in Coach, Inc.’s evolution as a customer-focused, multi-brand organization.

Schulman joins Coach from Neiman Marcus Group where he has served as president of Bergdorf Goodman and NMG International. Schulman joined Neiman Marcus Group in 2012 and assumed additional responsibility for NMG International with the acquisition of MyTheresa.com in 2014. From 2007 until 2012, Schulman was chief executive officer of Jimmy Choo, Ltd. Prior to Jimmy Choo, he served in senior executive roles at global retail and luxury brands including Gap, Inc., Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci.

“I’ve known Josh for many years and had always hoped to attract him to Coach,” said Luis. “He lives and breathes our industry and brings a unique blend of brand building and broad retail experience to the company, making him the ideal person for this newly created role. I couldn’t be more excited to have Josh lead the Coach brand.”

“I have been very impressed with the evolution of Coach under Stuart Vevers’s creative direction and Victor Luis’s leadership,” added Schulman. “I look forward to working with the talented global teams at Coach to build on this transformation, driving growth and relevance for the iconic brand across product categories, channels and geographies.”

Separately, the company announced that Andre Cohen, currently president of North America and Global Marketing for the Coach brand, will be leaving the company at the end of June to return to Asia with his family. Cohen, who has been with Coach since 2008, was instrumental in Coach’s development in Asia and has been spearheading the execution of the brand’s transformation strategy in the North American market over the last two years. “Andre has been a great partner to me and a strong leader of our businesses in Asia and North America,” added Luis. “I deeply appreciate his friendship and contributions over the last nine years but naturally I respect his family’s decision to return home to Singapore.”