A personal graveside service can be held Sunday for Joel H. Newman, a well-respected attire and retail government.
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 status as a seasoned government 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 rapidly moved into the retail business 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 vp of planning and analysis on the company workers 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 change to the wholesale aspect of the enterprise and joined Calvin Klein Industries as government vp. The next 12 months he was named president, succeeding Robert J. Suslow, his one-time boss at Batus. At CKI, Newman assumed accountability for integrating the Puritan division, which CKI had acquired in 1984, along with directing the monetary, operations, distribution and human sources actions beneath the umbrella of CKI.
“He was an exquisite individual,” stated Barry Schwartz, cofounder and former chairman of Calvin Klein Inc., on Friday. “He was clearly good. When Bob Suslow joined, Calvin and I introduced Joel in. Joel had had a serious position at Kohl’s. Principally his position with us was strategic planning. He was a very nice thinker. He was very sensible, and only a nice individual and nice to be round. He was at all times the neatest individual within the room.”
Andrew Rosen, who labored intently with Newman at Calvin Klein from 1985 to 1989, added, “Joel was an exquisite man. He was not a flashy man. He was understated and tremendous sensible, tremendous strategic and honorable. His phrase was essential. 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, liable 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 practically 12 years. He started as government vp — 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 Nineteen Nineties and 2000s. As a seasoned government, he at all times performed truthful and was honest in all his actions. He gave his all in every part he did. I’ll cherish our nice reminiscences — he can be missed,” stated Tommy Hilfiger on Friday.
Joel Horowitz, former chief government officer of Hilfiger, added, “Joel was our ‘rock.’ He saved us on observe all through our meteoric development. His expertise and demeanor made him invaluable.”
Newman’s final business 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 neighborhood, and he was concerned with a number of charities, specifically the Ronald McDonald Home, the place he was interim president and chief government officer, and KidsPeace, the place he served on the board. “He was at all times very captivated with kids’s causes,” stated Dan Newman.
“He beloved sports activities and watching the New York Giants, though he acquired too aggravated doing it. He was an enormous historical past buff and a voracious reader, and at all times prioritized spending time together 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 have been center and elementary faculty college students.
When requested which of his varied skilled roles he spoke about probably the most, his son stated, “It’s most likely much less about any one of many corporations or the experiences. He took nice pleasure within the relationships that he constructed and the those that he mentored over time. He was tremendous happy with that and drew super power 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.
