NEW YORK — Marie Holman-Rao, president of Limited Design Services, a unit of Limited Brands Inc., since 1997, will resign March 1 to start her own design and creative firm here.
The move could be a temporary one, however, since many retailers and headhunters consider Holman-Rao a seasoned executive who could one day head up a retail chain. She could not be reached for comment Friday.
Due to Holman-Rao’s departure, Limited Design Services formed a new co-leadership management model whereby two insiders were promoted to co-presidents: Wendi Goldman, formerly senior vice president of design, and Jed Krascella, formerly executive vice president and creative director. Goldman joined Limited Brands in 1997 and earlier was in product development at Banana Republic. She also held positions at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. Krascella joined Limited Design Services in April 1999 and was earlier vice president of design at Perry Ellis.
Holman-Rao was instrumental in developing certain subbrands and products for Limited divisions, handled special projects for the chairman and elevated Limited Design Services into what the parent Limited Brands regarded as “an enterprise-level design think tank, with the mission of big idea generation and brand development across the enterprise.”
Limited officials noted that Holman-Rao led a team of 70 and was the catalyst for hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and several top sellers, including the Henri Bendel candle, the editor pant at Express and the Pink subbrand at Victoria’s Secret and Body By Victoria. She was involved in so-called “skunk” projects, where Leslie H. Wexner, chairman and chief executive of Limited Brands, or Len Schlesinger, vice chairman and chief operating officer, would ask her to work on product concepts, rather than tying up staff at the retail divisions at the development stages. Holman-Rao would then submit her work to Wexner, Schlesinger and division heads for fine-tuning and finalizing the products. She will continue to work with Limited Brands on a consulting basis.
“Under [Marie’s] leadership, Limited Design Services has developed highly successful, fashionable apparel, lingerie and home fragrance products,” Wexner said in a statement. “Marie has been a tremendous creative and business partner … we look forward to continuing to benefit from her creativity as a consultant.”