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From the Bronx to Building Coach: A Fireside Chat featuring Lew Frankfort
February 5 at 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm EST
About the Program
Join the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity and Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship on February 5th as we welcome Lew Frankfort, former CEO and Chairman Emeritus of Coach, to Baruch College. Frankfort will reflect on his remarkable professional journey, from his early career in New York City government to leading Coach for nearly three decades and transforming it from a six million dollar leather goods business into a five billion dollar global lifestyle brand.
The fireside chat, moderated by Marlene Leekang, Executive Director of the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship, will draw from Frankfort’s memoir Bag Man, which chronicles how Coach pioneered the concept of accessible luxury and redefined an industry through relentless focus on the customer, bold strategic choices, and a willingness to challenge convention. Frankfort also explores the personal side of leadership, including how fear of failure can fuel success while demanding a personal toll.
The fireside chat will be followed by a live question and answer session, offering students a unique opportunity to engage directly with one of the most respected business leaders of his generation.
The first 100 students in attendance will receive a free copy of Bag Man.
About the Speaker
Lew Frankfort is Chairman Emeritus of Coach, Inc. He joined Coach in 1979 and served as Chairman and CEO from 1985 through 2014. During his 35 years with Coach, Lew built the small leather goods company into a $5 billion global accessories and lifestyle brand and was recognized multiple times by Barron’s as one of the “30 Most Respected CEOs around the World,” and by Institutional Investor as one of the “Best CEOs in America.”
After retiring from Coach, Lew co-founded Benvolio Group, an investment firm that focuses on early-stage disruptive consumer brands, including several where he advises and mentors senior leaders. Lew spent the first 10 years of his career in New York City government, with the last three restoring the city’s Head Start and day care programs as the Commissioner of the Agency for Child Development. He grew up in the Bronx and attended Hunter College and Columbia Business School. He and his wife Bobbie live in New York City, where they are active supporters of education and the arts. They have three children, eight grandchildren, and two beloved labradoodles.
Schedule:
12:00 pm – Registration and Lunch
12:30 pm – Fireside Chat
1:15 pm – Q&A
Registration:
Complimentary registration is required to attend this program.
Please click here to register.