Jones Apparel Group, Inc. appointed Aru Kulkarni president of sales of the women's wholesale sportswear division, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Kulkarni will oversee all wholesale sales functions, including developing and coordinating wholesale sales programs and strategies for Anne Klein New York, AK Anne Klein, Nine West Sportswear and Jones New York Collection, Signature and Sport.
Kulkarni has led a distinguished 20-year sales career in the retail industry. Since 2000, she held various executive positions in sales and marketing at Liz Claiborne, Inc., most recently serving as Chief Customer Officer for Partnered Brands Division. Prior to joining Liz Claiborne, Kulkarni held various sales roles at Warnaco from 1992 until 2000 and at Maidenform, Inc. from 1989 until 1992.
“We are very excited to welcome Aru to Jones. Aru is a proven sales executive with a keen strategic eye and an excellent reputation in the retail industry,” said Susan Metzger, Chief Executive Officer of the Women's Wholesale Sportswear division. “Aru's appointment brings yet another strong industry talent to Jones as we enhance the appeal of our core brands and grow their market share. We continue to evolve the Better Sportswear collections to focus on a more modern approach to styling and assortments and are very pleased with the positive reception our current product offerings have been receiving. I am confident that with Aru on the team, we will further enhance our existing customer relationships and build new ones.”
With this appointment, each Vice President of Sales of the Women's Wholesale Sportswear division will report to Kulkarni.
