Joel H. Newman, Longtime Style and Retail Trade Government, Dies at 82

A personal graveside service might be held Sunday for Joel H. Newman, a well-respected attire and retail govt.

Newman, 82, died Aug. 3 at New York Presbyterian Hospital from problems from a fall he incurred final weekend, in line with his son, Dan.

Throughout a profession that spanned the retail and wholesale industries, Newman gained a popularity as a seasoned govt well-versed in monetary, working and administrative actions. His main roles included president of Calvin Klein Industries, chief monetary officer of Tommy Hilfiger, and president of Kohl’s Division Shops.

Born on the Decrease East Facet of New York, Newman spent most of his life within the New York space. He attended Bentley Excessive Faculty in Jackson Heights, Queens, and graduated from New York College in 1962. Whereas in highschool he met his future spouse, Sheila, at an ice cream parlor they usually dated all through highschool and school and married after Newman graduated.

Armed with an accounting diploma, Newman’s first job was with Unilever, however he shortly moved into the retail trade by taking a job in finance at Bloomingdale’s. Newman then spent 16 years on the Batus Retail Division of BAT Industries. He was senior vice chairman of planning and analysis on the company employees at Batus Retail and held posts at Saks Fifth Avenue. He rose to turn out to be president of its Kohl’s Division Shops unit.

In 1984, Newman made the swap to the wholesale aspect of the enterprise and joined Calvin Klein Industries as govt vice chairman. The next 12 months he was named president, succeeding Robert J. Suslow, his one-time boss at Batus. At CKI, Newman assumed duty for integrating the Puritan division, which CKI had acquired in 1984, along with directing the monetary, operations, distribution and human sources actions underneath the umbrella of CKI.

“He was a beautiful particular person,” stated Barry Schwartz, cofounder and former chairman of Calvin Klein Inc., on Friday. “He was clearly sensible. When Bob Suslow joined, Calvin and I introduced Joel in. Joel had had a significant function at Kohl’s. Principally his function with us was strategic planning. He was a very nice thinker. He was very good, and only a nice particular person and nice to be round. He was at all times the neatest particular person within the room.”

Andrew Rosen, who labored carefully with Newman at Calvin Klein from 1985 to 1989, added, “Joel was a beautiful man. He was not a flashy man. He was understated and tremendous good, tremendous strategic and honorable. His phrase was necessary. He did what he stated he would do. He was a straight shooter.”

After CKI, Newman went to Leslie Fay Co. in 1987 as chief working officer and vice chairman, answerable for planning, operations, human sources and finance. He additionally headed up the worldwide division and lived in London for a 12 months.

In 1993, Newman joined Tommy Hilfiger, the place he labored almost 12 years. He started as govt vice chairman — finance and chief administrative officer and was tapped as chief monetary officer and administrative officer in 2000.

“Joel was a pricey good friend and an integral a part of the model’s success within the Nineties and 2000s. As a seasoned govt, he at all times performed truthful and was honest in all his actions. He gave his all in the whole lot he did. I’ll cherish our nice recollections — he might be missed,” stated Tommy Hilfiger on Friday.

Joel Horowitz, former chief govt officer of Hilfiger, added, “Joel was our ‘rock.’ He saved us on monitor all through our meteoric progress. His expertise and demeanor made him invaluable.”

Newman’s final trade job was at Kenneth Cole Productions, which he joined in 2006 as chief working officer and stayed a 12 months and a half, overseeing finance, operations, human sources and authorized.

Dan Newman stated his father’s coronary heart was at all times in group, and he was concerned with a number of charities, specifically the Ronald McDonald Home, the place he was interim president and chief govt officer, and KidsPeace, the place he served on the board. “He was at all times very obsessed with kids’s causes,” stated Dan Newman.

“He liked sports activities and watching the New York Giants, though he received too aggravated doing it. He was an enormous historical past buff and a voracious reader, and at all times prioritized spending time along with his household,” stated Dan Newman.

Joel and Sheila Newman raised their household in Douglaston, Queens, and later moved to Nice Neck when their kids had been center and elementary faculty college students.

When requested which of his numerous skilled roles he spoke about essentially the most, his son stated, “It’s most likely much less about any one of many firms or the experiences. He took nice satisfaction within the relationships that he constructed and the those who he mentored over time. He was tremendous happy with that and drew great vitality from it. He saved in contact with folks.”

Along with his spouse Sheila and son Dan, he’s survived by a daughter, Stephanie, and her husband, Michael Levine, Dan’s spouse Amy, and 5 grandchildren — Jacob, Zach and Gabe Newman, and Peyton and Arianne Levine.