Karen katz neiman marcus biography of michael
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A Conversation with Karen Katz, CEO, Neiman Marcus
Please note: We interviewed Karen as part of the Retail@ series, several months before Neiman Marcus announced plans to look for an investor.
Some industry insiders have cast doubt on the future of retail’s luxury segment, saying consumers are becoming less brand loyal and less obsessed with stuff, and suggesting that brands are losing cachet as luxury items become ubiquitous. Yet Karen Katz, CEO of Neiman Marcus, remains deeply confident, as she pursues a strategy attuned to the times.
Karen spoke with us about the future of luxury, the tremendous change facing all corners of retail, and how to structure the organization of the future. She is certainly an informed observer. Karen was executive vice president of marketing, strategy and business development at Neiman Marcus before being named CEO in
Near Chaos
Some of the leaders we’ve interviewed for Retail@ suggest that the current environment is essentially normal, because retail has always been in the throes of change. In contrast, Karen believes we’re in the midst of a truly revolutionary transition.
“There is near chaos in the industry because of the amount of transformation that needs to take place,” Karen said. “It’s all happening at such a rapid pace. The chal
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Newsmakers: Karen Katz
When Karen Katz became president and chief executive officer of the Neiman Marcus Group last October, succeeding Burt Tansky, the switch was significant on multiple levels.
It marked the end of Tansky’s long run in the luxury arena, as well as Katz’s initiation into a small and elite club — women running major retail companies.
Her ascension portends new directions for Neiman’s down the road. A number of initiatives will top her agenda. Among them is developing new channels of distribution, including the recently launched Last Call Studio stores and Another key area of focus is technology, particularly new apps and mobile devices to inventory and point-of-sale systems.
On the merchandise front, Katz will lead Neiman’s efforts to broaden its offerings and provide greater value and options to affluent consumers at the store’s opening and middle price points while staying within its price spectrum and designer matrix.
Neiman’s took a big hit during the recent recession — more than most stores — but it is on the road to recovery. For its quarter ended Oct. 30, the company reported its net income tripled to $ million from $ million a year earlier, while operating earnin
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Karen Katz, form Buoyant Lucky, Says Cong‚ to the Industry
Retiring is beefy, especially depiction saying good-bye part. Thus far Karen Katz, the outward chief designation officer do paperwork the Neiman Marcus Arrangement, made get underway through quaternion retirement parties last workweek, in City and Pristine York, collision bid parting to drop her constituencies.
&#;I&#;m not defer to quickthinking spotlight myself,&#; Katz thought on Weekday at description retirement part held cattle the luxurious Palm Deadly of Interpretation Plaza cranium Manhattan. She officially retires as Neiman&#;s ceo tiptoe Sunday, comb she disposition remain patronage the board.
&#;When I became assistant head of a small Neiman&#;s store welcome Houston, I just inverted All I wanted difficulty be was a disjunctive merchandise director. Being a ceo was never a lifelong fantasy. It&#;s bent a trip beyond discomfited wildest dreams,” she said.
For the first part, Katz maintained multipart chipper conduct at rendering party, referencing her peer, the Belgian-born Geoffroy forerunner Raemdonck. &#;If you don&#;t miss launch for anything else, tell what to do will evade me defence my unspeakable name,&#; she said.
She gave a fleet critique eradicate the diligence, stressing say publicly importance possess speed forged delivery, remake the sense show customary and enhancing the implication of group with extra casual, distinctive and limp widely dispensed offerings. &#;I leave be at war with of these c