As a customer, you might not have known that Bergdorf Goodman has been without a president for about two years, as its previous chief, Jim Gold, has been overseeing the store from Dallas as president of specialty retail for the Neiman Marcus Group, the store's parent. Yesterday, however the company admitted that Bergdorf's really needs a more hands-on leader, so it named Joshua Schulman the store's president (pictured at left). It marks the first time that Bergdorf Goodman has been led by an executive whose experience comes from the wholesale side of the business. Schulman, whose most recent position was as CEO of Jimmy Choo lacks the traditional merchandising background one would expect from a retail CEO, but has decades of experience working with Bergdorf's as an executive with luxury brands like Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, where he was worldwide director of women’s ready-to-wear. It was there, ironically, where he oversaw the removal of Gucci women's apparel from Bergdorf's in 1999 when the label was displeased with the way the line was being presented in the store (By the way, having watched this happen with our own eyes, we can report it as a smart move on his part at the time. Gucci apparel returned after a hiatus of several seasons with a much larger department for women on the second floor).
Any gaps in the new President's experience will be covered by Gold, to whom he will report. “Although I’ve been a vendor, I’m not coming in with any preconceived notions. I will be working on a new strategic plan,” Schulman tells WWD, who suggests that strengthening management at Bergdorf's may be part of a larger strategy of preparing Neiman Marcus Group for a public offering.
Joshua Schulman Heading to Bergdorf Goodman by David Moin (WWD)
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