Liz Claiborne names direct brands coo

NEW YORK Liz Claiborne Inc. has announced the appointment of Tom Fitzgerald as coo of direct brands effective Sept. 24.

Fitzgerald will oversee the Lucky Brand Jeans, Kate Spade, Juicy Couture and Outlet businesses in conjunction to partnering with leaders at Mexx in order to implement the best practices across all direct brands.

“Enhancing and evolving our operational capabilities is an important part of that strategy,” said Michael Scarpa, coo of Liz Claiborne Inc. “We are pleased to have someone of Tom's level of experience taking on this position."

Fitzgerald will report to Scarpa and work closely with Jill Granoff, evp of direct brands, who believes Fitzgerald to be a great leader and a seasoned operations executive. No surprise there, his background spans across domestic and international retail and packaged goods industries like the Burlington Coat Factory and PepsiCo Inc.