NEW YORK — Cole Haan finally has a new chief.
The Yarmouth, Maine-based footwear, accessories and outerwear firm on Wednesday appointed James Seuss as chief executive officer after a nine-month search conducted by Karen Harvey Group. Seuss is president of fine jeweler Harry Winston, a post he has held since August 2004 and will relinquish in April.
Seuss’ expertise lies in international retail and luxury. He was the founding ceo of Stella McCartney and has held executive roles at Tiffany & Co. in Europe and Asia, where he managed the firm’s expansion in the regions.
Seuss’ departure from Harry Winston marks the third executive to leave the firm in the past 10 months. Global director of communications Carol Brodie and sales and marketing director Jim Haag departed in June and August, respectively.
At Cole Haan, Seuss will fill the post left vacant after Matthew Rubel left the firm in July to join Payless ShoeSource as ceo. Seuss comes to Cole Haan, a subsidiary of Nike Inc., in the midst of expansion. In November, the company said it will open up to 40 U.S. stores within five years, in addition to the current 50.
The company is also seeking to expand its international dealings. It has three stores in Japan and, according to creative director Gordon Thompson, the firm is looking to open stores in major European cities and various Asian locales, such as Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Seuss said he will follow through with the company’s plans, but wants to stay true to the brand’s American roots.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Seuss. “We’ll make sure the business is committed to a consistent and steady growth in the U.S., which is Cole Haan’s strongest market.”
Seuss, who starts on May 15, plans to take the first 60 to 90 days to study the company and put together a strategy with Thompson. He intends to focus on bettering the retail experience with customer service, merchandising and product assortment, and will consider other product categories like eyewear and watches for the Cole Haan brand, as well as G Series, the firm’s technology-focused line of footwear, outerwear and accessories. He also wants to home in on Cole Haan’s connection to Nike and utilize the athletic giant’s resources.
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“The interesting thing about Cole Haan is that it has a great product range at accessible price point,” said Seuss. “It’s a great American brand. There’s the potential to be a leader in the accessories and the footwear business.”
Thompson said, “What Matt [Rubel] did was really set up the business structure to the company. He put a formality to the financials. Jim is going to be doing the brand building and focusing on international and retail. It’s pointing us in the right direction, into a fashion brand.”