The US fashion group Ralph Lauren has appointed Bob Ranftl as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), the company announced on Wednesday. Ranftl will take up his new position on March 30, succeeding Jane Nielsen, whose departure was announced at the end of September.
The COO-designate has been with Ralph Lauren since 2015, during which time he has held various leadership positions across multiple regions, including COO for North America, Asia Pacific and EMEA. Most recently, he served as Regional CEO for North America, where he drove strategic expansion in key metropolitan areas, led direct market entry in Canada and strategically repositioned the wholesale business, putting the region back on track for growth.
In his new role, Ranftl will be responsible, among other things, for the areas of IT, logistics, real estate, architecture and store design as well as the company’s licensing organization. He will play a key role in further driving growth in the regions, according to the statement.
“With his extensive global experience at Ralph Lauren, his deep operational expertise and his deep commitment to our brand, Bob is uniquely qualified to serve as our next Chief Operating Officer. He has laid the foundation to return North America to growth,” said Patrice Louvet, President and CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation.
Ranftl’s current role as Regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for North America will be taken over by Mercedes Abramo, who will join the company on March 1. Abramo comes from the luxury brand Cartier, where she most recently served as Deputy Chief Commercial Officer.