Coach announces a CEO succession plan

Victor Luis

Coach Inc. says chairman and CEO Lew Frankfort will leave the job in January 2014 and be replaced by Victor Luis. In advance of that, the consumer brand manufacturer, No. 158 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, today said it had appointed Luis president and chief commercial officer.

Frankfort, meanwhile, will become executive chairman next year after stepping down as the luxury brand’s CEO, a job he took over in 1995. He has worked at Coach for approximately 35 years.

Luis had been Coach’s international group president since last year. In that role, he had oversight of businesses outside North America, including leading the brand’s Asian expansion. Previously, he was president and CEO of Coach Japan along with Coach China, and president for Coach’s international retail.

Luis “has demonstrated the passion, strategic vision, focus, superb execution and strong values that make an outstanding leader,” Frankfort says. “Through Victor’s relentless drive and performance, he has spearheaded our meteoric growth in Asia. Victor has also developed talent and forged collaborative teams across geographies.”