Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. has appointed Jill Granoff as its CEO. Founder Kenneth Cole will continue as the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, retaining creative control over brand positioning, product, design, and advertising. Granoff was most recently at Liz Claiborne Inc. where she was the EVP  of Direct Brands.


Granoff will assume primary responsibility for domestic and international operations including the Company's retail, wholesale, and licensing businesses and the related support functions. She will report to Cole and join the company's Board of Directors. Her start date will be May 5th. This move allows Cole to focus on brand and product development and the company's bigger picture strategic opportunities, while Granoff runs the day-to-day business.

Cole said, “We are extremely excited to have Jill on our team. She has a great track record of building brands, and I look forward to working with her and leveraging her strategic and operational capabilities to improve all aspects of our company.”

 

Cole continued, “It is a new era for me and the Company. I am confident that having an executive of Jill's stature and abilities, to partner with me and our strong management team, will allow the company to achieve even greater successes in its next chapter.”

At Claiborne, Granoff was responsible for the key growth engines at Liz Claiborne with global oversight for Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand Jeans, Kate Spade and the company's Outlet stores and E-Commerce businesses. Prior to joining Liz Claiborne, Granoff was president and COO of Victoria's Secret Beauty. During her tenure, she helped double sales from $500 million to nearly $1 billion, making Victoria's Secret Beauty one of the leading specialty retailers of fragrances and cosmetics in the U.S. Previously, Granoff worked at The Estee Lauder Companies following several years as a management consultant specializing in strategic planning and organization development.


Granoff commented, “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with Kenneth and the management team to realize the extraordinary potential of this global lifestyle brand. I am particularly excited to help build upon the strong brand heritage while helping to drive new growth initiatives in the retail and international arenas.”