EVP, CMO, Author, Speaker, Alchemist & LinkedIn Top Voice
New York, New York, United States
35K followers
500+ connections
About
Alchemy is the art of transformation — and in marketing, it’s turning stories into behavior, emotion into loyalty, and brands into revenue.
I serve as EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, and Alchemist at Randa Apparel & Accessories, a multinational consumer products company: one of the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle businesses.
Randa is the global market leader in men’s accessories and a fast-growing force in men's and women’s apparel and accessories. We design, source, and distribute more than 30 brands across belts, wallets, headwear, rainwear, gloves, slippers, and sportswear — with iconic partners including Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Columbia Sportswear, Tommy Bahama, Dickies, Haggar, and Totes.
We own the Haggar Clothing Co. — the #1 non-denim pant brand and the #1 tailored clothing brand in North America — and Tribal Sportswear, the market leader in women’s fashion sold through independent specialty stores. We co-own the market-leading companies Totes (umbrellas and rain gear) and Isotoner (slippers, gloves, and cold-weather accessories).
At heart, I’m a behavioral economist with a storytelling habit. I use data, neuroscience, and narrative to decode how and why people buy — and how we, as marketers and merchants, can respond with empathy, creativity, and scale.
What I Do:
• Lead brand strategy across a portfolio of owned and licensed brands
• Drive digital transformation, AI innovation, and consumer insights
• Guide global marketing, communications, IP, and visual merchandising
• Build demand across 20,000 points of sale, millions of digital moments, and key retail partners like Amazon, Macy’s, Walmart, Target, Costco, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Liverpool
I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with brilliant teams across American Express, McKinsey & Company, and QVC — and to work alongside our extraordinary CEO at RAA, whose vision continually inspires.
I co-authored the best-selling book "Design for Response: Creative Marketing That Works." Stimulus and response often begin with a story — and I’ve shared mine through the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, WWD, CNN, CNBC, Business of Fashion, and The Robin Report.
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Favorite Ideas:
• We can’t navigate a new landscape with old maps.
• The best marketing feels like a story, not a strategy.
• Real influence begins with real listening.
• Innovation = Invention + Invoices.
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If you’re here to connect, collaborate, or converse — welcome.
If you’re selling a product or service, please do your homework, specify value, bring references.
Contact: randa.net and randa.net/contact
Articles by David J.
Activity
35K followers
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David J. Katz shared thisDon’t Count on October to Behave Like October (Thanks, Julius. Thanks, Augustus.) Originally, October was the eighth month, like octopus, octagon, and other eight-legged things. Then two Caesars decided they deserved a little more time on the calendar. They inserted July and August, bumping October to tenth place, and it’s been out of sync ever since. In 2025, October is once again refusing to act its age: • The weather’s still whispering summer. • Consumers are waiting for reasons to engage. • And seasonal demand is… seasonally confused. Welcome to Q4, 2025. Here’s what brands and retailers need to know: Consumers are still spending—but with precision. They’ll show up for #BlackFriday, #CyberMonday, and anything with urgency baked in. But between those moments? Shoulder periods are soft. Don’t overspend chasing silence. Tariff tensions ahead. Price increases are coming across the board. Elasticity is holding—for now. But if your prices rise faster than your value story, consumers will push back. #Wholesale is playing defense. #Retail partners are cautious—even after a solid back-to-school season. Don’t expect aggressive forward orders. Be ready to shift revenue timing—or product plans. Advice for operators? Agility > accuracy. Plan for volatility. React with speed. Let sell-through, traffic, and sentiment—not tradition—drive your decisions. This season, the nimble will eat the nostalgic. Because whether it’s the Roman Empire or the retail calendar… Leaders will always find a way to insert themselves. #Brands #Holiday2025 #RetailStrategy #ApparelTrends #weather #ConsumerBehavior Macy's Walmart Kohl's The TJX Companies, Inc. Costco Wholesale
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David J. Katz shared thisBefore there were podcasts, there were campfires. Humans have always gathered to share stories—about where we’ve been, what we’ve seen, who we are. From ancient myths to golden-age radio, from #NPR car rides to #Spotify streams, each leap in technology has carried forward the same timeless instinct: Listen. Learn. Connect. Tuesday, September 30, is #InternationalPodcastDay, a global celebration of that most intimate and powerful medium: audio. And the growth is staggering: • 5 million+ #podcasts exist globally • 70 million+ episodes are available • Over 100,000 new shows launched every month • 504 million listeners hit play regularly • Global podcast revenue is expected to hit $4.1 billion this year, and rising Whether you’re deep into the long arc of a serialized narrative or squeezing insight into a commute, podcasts deliver what few formats can: focused thought and deep attention, on demand. Some of my go-to’s: Acquired, "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," The Moth, "Radio Hour," Freakonomics, Hidden Brain, " and "What's News" from The Wall Street Journal. And these extraordinary #retail podcasts from my colleagues: The Remarkable Retail Podcast, Omni Talk Retail, The Robin Report, "Watson Weekend" with Rick Watson, RETHINK Retail, Future Commerce, The Business of Fashion, and The Retail Pilot - Leaders & Legends. What are your must-listens? Drop your top podcasts below—especially those that make you think, shift perspective, or stay with you long after the credits roll. Happy listening. #InternationalPodcastDay #RetailVoices #Storytelling #brands #Leadership Steve Dennis Shelley E. Kohan Chris Walton Anne Mezzenga Ken Pilot Phillip Jackson Sheena Butler-Young Joe Rogan experience
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David J. Katz shared thisWhat if our biggest risk isn’t #AI replacing us, but us replacing good questions with bad ones? Douglas Adams warned us: build a supercomputer named "Deep Thought" to calculate the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything,” and after seven and a half million years, it replies: 42. The joke wasn’t the answer. It was the question; no one knew what they were asking. And yet, history shows we keep doing this: • Windows once expired passwords after 42 days, as though eternity hinged on a Tuesday login. • Torah scrolls hold 42 lines, Kabbalists count 42 letters of creation, and in ASCII, “42” is an asterisk—a wildcard for “anything.” • Mathematicians still chuckle: 6 × 9 = 42… if you’re counting in base 13. We’ve been asking the wrong questions for millennia, and then applauding ourselves when the answers look profound. Sound familiar? Today, Artificial Intelligence is our new Deep Thought. • Will it replace us? • Will it save us? • Will it write my quarterly earnings report and tuck my kids into bed? • Will China invade Taiwan before Black Friday, and if so, what does that mean for doorbuster deals? • Will consumers buy fewer men’s pants if the Fed lowers rates by another 50 basis points? • Can OpenAI or Microsoft predict the precise moment department stores stop dying and start resurrecting? • Will Circana, McKinsey & Company, or Gartner finally deliver the prophecy Harvard Business Review has been waiting to print? These are the questions we feed it. And we’ll act shocked when the machine spits back something as unhelpful and hilarious as 42. The danger isn’t that AI gives us the wrong answers. It’s that we keep asking the wrong questions. So the next time someone promises AI will reveal the secrets of life, the universe, and everything, remember: it all depends on whether we can ask a question worth answering. #ArtificialIntelligence #RetailTrends #ConsumerBehavior #DigitalTransformation
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David J. Katz shared thisTraditional retail isn’t failing because it lacks answers. It’s failing because we keep asking the wrong questions. "The streetlight effect:" A drunk searches for his lost keys under a lamp post. “Did you lose them here?” asks the cop. “No,” he replies, “but the light’s better here.” That’s legacy retail. We keep looking under the lamp post of our past, not where tomorrow’s truth lies. The legacy lamp posts? Sales-per-square-foot. Store comps. Retail traffic. Return on Ad Spend. Lifetime Value. Once reliable, now fading in relevance. We cling to them because the numbers are neat, the dashboards familiar, the glow comforting. But the real keys, the ones that unlock the future—lie elsewhere, in places harder to see: • Omnichannel behaviors that don’t fit old models. • Consumers choosing new values—identity, ethics, and time—over discounts. • Platform-native brands rewriting distribution. • AI and predictive tools rewriting the rules. • Geopolitics reshaping supply chains with tariffs, wars, and chokepoints. • The erosion of #departmentstores, once anchors, now dragging entire malls down with them. • #Socialmedia shifting from shop window to battleground, where identity, outrage, transactions, and aspiration collide faster than brands can measure. • AI, robotics, and predictive tools demanding new maps, new compasses, new courage. To paraphrase what I’ve said before: You can’t navigate a new path by searching under the old lamppost. The answers aren’t in legacy metrics or nostalgia. They’re in the dark. In the uncomfortable corners. In the new questions we don’t yet ask. The winners will be the ones who stop circling the lamppost— and dare to search in the dark until they find the keys. If the future lies in unknown shadows, what tools (or mindsets) do you believe retailers most need to navigate it? #RetailStrategy #FutureOfRetail #Innovation #Leadership #inspiration #ConsumerTrends #AI #Transformation
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David J. Katz shared thisI hope you will attend "The Watson Weekend Live Show: Ep. 80 w/ David Katz" this Friday, September 19. I'm an avid listener and fan of Rick's show, and I'm honored that he chose me as his guest for this episode. It was a pleasure sharing thoughts regarding our rapidly evolving retail marketplace, consumer behavior, technology, government policy, and more. Tune in; I hope you enjoy the show. Bring popcorn and a notepad. #retail #brands #innovation #consumerbehavior #technologyDavid J. Katz shared this📢 This Friday on Watson Weekend (12PM ET), we’re joined by one of retail’s most fascinating minds: David J. Katz, EVP & CMO of Randa Apparel & Accessories. David isn’t just a CMO—he’s a true alchemist of retail. He blends neuroscience, data, and technology to decode consumer behavior across thousands of touchpoints. His team manages 25 powerhouse brands including Haggar, Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Columbia, Cole Haan, and Dickies—spanning every major retail channel worldwide. From global arbitrage strategies to the death of brand loyalty, we’ll unpack why retail’s models—not consumers—are the real constraint, and what resilient, data-first, customer-focused structures look like in 2025 and beyond. 🛒 Topics on the table: - Why loyalty isn’t what you think it is anymore (logic over loyalty). - How Randa uses global signals to make smarter, faster decisions. - Why the annual plan is dead—and what replaces it. - What kinds of brands and structures will actually survive the next decade. 🎙️ Join us Friday at 12PM ET for a conversation that reframes the very model of retail. 🚀 Big thanks to our sponsor Rithum: Because if you’re in commerce, this is the event you can’t miss. Rithum LIVE is happening Sept 25 in New York City and Oct 9 in London—bringing together top brands, retailers, and leaders for a full day on the future of commerce. Learn more at rithum.com/nyc
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David J. Katz shared thisRalph Lauren Has Entered the AI Age When heritage meets the algorithm. Tuesday’s The Wall Street Journal article on David Lauren and the launch of “Ask Ralph”—an AI-powered styling app trained on decades of Ralph Lauren archives and lookbooks—marks another inflection point in the luxury sector’s uneasy romance with #technology. The tool can suggest outfit options for events and answer vital fashion questions in natural language. “Yes, it’s OK to wear white after Labor Day,” Ask Ralph says. The brand confirmed the real Ralph, who still runs his company, would concur. The #AI stylist was built in collaboration with Microsoft using OpenAI’s foundation models on #Azure. Luxury brands, by definition, sell aspiration and experience. The paradox? Digital tools risk stripping away intimacy even as they promise personalization. Ralph Lauren is leaning in, betting that the runway of the future is not only fabric and form, but also data and dialogue. A flashback to 2000, when most scoffed at the idea of luxury #ecommerce. Ralph Lauren launched online anyway. Skepticism then; envy and inevitability now. AI will follow the same path. The first interactions may feel clunky, but the learning curve will be steep, the rewards significant, and the critics loud. Just like fashion, evolution is not optional. Questions to consider: • Will AI dilute or deepen the aura of luxury? • Can a machine truly capture “taste” or “fashion”? • Is personalization scalable without losing exclusivity? The luxury playbook is clear: see sooner, flex faster, and accept the critic’s seat as the cost of a front-row view. #Luxury #RetailInnovation #Leadership #brands #retail #fashion #innovation Isabelle Bousquette
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David J. Katz shared thisLabor shortages, consumer shifts, and supply chain disruptions could shape Holiday 2025—are retailers ready? As retailers, #brands, and vendors prepare for Holiday 2025, immigration enforcement has emerged as an operational variable with real implications for staffing, consumer behavior, and supply chains. Observations: * Large-scale raids at warehouses and a major auto facility in Georgia show how quickly enforcement can disrupt labor pools and operations. * In immigrant-heavy communities, in-store visits are declining, while delivery and curbside pickup are gaining share. * Seasonal hiring pools are tighter, with distribution centers, warehouse clubs, and big-box retailers all competing for fewer workers. Potential effects: * Staffing shortages may lead to slower replenishment, longer lines, and reduced hours in stores. * Distribution centers could experience fulfillment delays during peak weeks. * A continued channel shift: more online, less in-store—especially in regions with high immigrant populations. Action steps for retailers and brands: * Begin seasonal hiring and compliance checks early. * Stress-test distribution nodes in higher-risk regions (IL, NJ, GA). * Invest in cross-training and automation. * Reinforce delivery and curbside reliability in consumer messaging. * Leverage field service teams to stabilize execution when retailer labor is stretched. Preparedness and flexibility will be the keys to navigating the season successfully. What’s your biggest staffing wildcard heading into this holiday season? Looking forward to perspectives from National Retail Federation, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and retailers including Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Costco Wholesale, and Amazon. I welcome insights from analysts including Simeon Siegel, CFA (BMO Capital Markets) and Kristen Classi-Zummo (Circana), as we all prepare for Holiday 2025. Please note: this post is not a statement regarding the current U.S. immigration policy. It is intended as a thought-starter regarding the potential affect of enforcing these policies on #retailworkers, #consumers, #supplychain, #ecommerce, and #retail sales for #Holiday2025. #SeasonalHiring #RetailTrends #jobs #immigration
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David J. Katz shared thisA Stress Expert Came Undone by a Missing Suitcase What happened next revealed the leadership lesson no wellness app can teach. I study markets, #leadership, and #change. Rebecca Heiss, PhD (she/her) studies #stress. Her story, shared in The Wall Street Journal (August 28, 2025), surprised me. On the eve of a keynote in Hawaii, Heiss’s luggage disappeared somewhere between the mainland and the Big Island. Less than 24 hours before she was due to face a room full of executives, the stress physiologist who studies how humans handle pressure was, ironically, undone by a missing suitcase. When she explained her predicament to the hotel clerk, the woman smiled and said: “Oh sweetie, you aren’t going to find what you need here.” Then she handed Heiss the keys to her brand-new BMW convertible and gave directions to shops 40 minutes away. “Just bring it back when you’re done,” she said. “I don’t even know your name,” Heiss stammered. “I’ll tell you when you bring my car back.” Heiss returned with a suit and a lesson: a stranger under their own stress had relieved it by helping her. Because when she thanked the clerk—whose name was Tani—she learned something deeper. Tani admitted she’d been stressed about her daughter, who had just moved back to the mainland: “My hope is that somebody might do something similar for her if she was in the same circumstance.” Later that evening, the hotel manager—himself anxious about relocating his family to Hawaii—heard the story. Tears welled in his eyes. Minutes later, Heiss’s room filled with chocolates and a handwritten note. He wrote that Tani’s act of kindness had eased his stress, too. A 2024 study of 90 workplace stress-reduction programs—meditation, yoga, massage, breathing exercises—found only one consistently reduced stress: serving others. That has implications for leaders: Instead of only urging employees to “manage their stress,” create cultures where helping a teammate is the default response. Encourage peer-to-peer support. A quick assist on a project, covering a meeting, or sharing expertise is often more effective than a corporate mindfulness subscription. Model it yourself. Leaders who extend trust and service relieve stress on both sides of the transaction. Stress doesn’t always demand inward focus. Sometimes the cure is outward—toward the needs of others. Recently, I wrote a lyric inspired by one of Randa’s new Value Statements: "We don’t just bring folks along for the ride, we pull up a chair and sit side by side." Heiss’s story brought that lyric to life for me. When we sit side by side—whether with a colleague, customer, or partner—we don’t just ease their burden. More often than not, we lighten our own. #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #StressManagement #Kindness #Inspiration
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David J. Katz liked thisDavid J. Katz liked thisEvery year, #ClimateWeek is a reminder of both the urgency and power of collective action. I was pleased to see the many ways our Levi Strauss & Co. team showed up to drive impact, particularly focused on how we’re partnering with our suppliers to decarbonize the supply chain and partner with consumers in a variety of ways: — We announced the Levi Strauss & Co. Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP) in India. If you missed the post, you can find it here: https://lnkd.in/gP_f_vJx — Jennifer DuBuisson co-hosted the World Resources Institute Corporate Consultative Group’s annual breakfast with corporate leaders to discuss the importance of framing sustainability in terms of resiliency — Jennifer, Gabriel R., and Harrison Allen also represented LS&Co.’s perspective on supply chain decarbonization and supplier engagement throughout the week at partner events — We were also excited to host a design panel with Yvonne Watson, Emma Rogue, and our very own Paul Dillinger, moderated by Elizabeth Segran, Ph.D., that focused on one key question: Why do people love, keep, and repair clothes? As you can hear from Paul below, our products play a meaningful role in our sustainability strategy, though with a different approach from our design teams. Follow the link to learn more and see the full panel: https://bit.ly/3Ky4m1h We know sustainability in our industry requires a multi-faceted approach. It requires a plan for our supply chain emissions and a meaningful point of view on making clothes that last longer and stay out of landfills. Together, these individual moments work to move the needle in a positive direction for the apparel industry. Here’s to driving impact during #ClimateWeek and beyond! #SustainabilitySpotlight #liveinlevis #buybetterwearlonger #climate #LevisSecondhand #LevisTailorShops
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David J. Katz reacted on thisDavid J. Katz reacted on thisThrilled to share our latest Purposeful Voices campaign featuring the incredible Jay Shetty — live now across NYC, Los Angeles, and for the first time, Seattle! This one is special. Purpose drives everything we do, and this campaign is a true reflection of that mission. Jay's message, presence, and voice align so beautifully with what we stand for — authenticity, impact, and connection. Huge shoutout to the amazing team behind this. You brought passion, precision, and heart to every step. It shows — from concept to execution, and now on the streets for all to see. If you’re walking through NYC, LA, or Seattle — look up 👀. We’re just getting started. Jed Berger Emily Cole Kenneth Cole Steve Wyatt Steffanie Gillstrap Katherine "Katie" Schad Alina Weitzel Eileen Maguire Danielle Holtzman
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David J. Katz reacted on thisDavid J. Katz reacted on thisToday the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) issued a statement on the expiration of two critical trade preference programs - the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haiti HOPE/HELP programs. These programs enjoy strong bipartisan backing, support American cotton and textile exports, and provide American businesses with smart, practical strategies to diversify sourcing outside of China. #SmartTrade #AdvocacyThatFits https://lnkd.in/e88UcSFy
Experience
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Randa Accessories
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Author - Design For Response
Rockport Publishers
Education
Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Executive Board Member
Fashion Scholarship Fund
- Present 11 years 9 months
Education
The Fashion Scholarship Fund is the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit in the U.S. The FSF works directly with the country's most talented young students from diverse backgrounds and awards over $1.4 million each year in scholarships to help these students succeed in all sectors of the industry including design and product development, merchandising, marketing, and business strategy.
The FSF also provides scholars with a wide range of internship and…The Fashion Scholarship Fund is the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit in the U.S. The FSF works directly with the country's most talented young students from diverse backgrounds and awards over $1.4 million each year in scholarships to help these students succeed in all sectors of the industry including design and product development, merchandising, marketing, and business strategy.
The FSF also provides scholars with a wide range of internship and career opportunities, mentorship, networking, professional development, and unprecedented access to the industry's most influential leaders and companies. -
Executive Board Member
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
- Present 3 years 8 months
Politics
AAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its nearly four million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $400 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. Our reach stretches from Washington, D.C., throughout the United States, and around the globe.
The AAFA provides exclusive expertise in trade, brand protection, and supply chain & manufacturing to help our members navigate the complex regulatory…AAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its nearly four million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $400 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. Our reach stretches from Washington, D.C., throughout the United States, and around the globe.
The AAFA provides exclusive expertise in trade, brand protection, and supply chain & manufacturing to help our members navigate the complex regulatory environment and lower costs.
Publications
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The New Retail Landscape
BEL Brand Extensions & Licensing Magazine
See publicationThe word "disruption" is too moderate to describe what's occurring. The retail landscape is in a state of upheaval, a tectonic shift.
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Is It Really Lonely at the Top?
Executive Vine
See publicationThe very nature of power and its psychological effects often leave the powerful feeling lonely at the top. On the other hand, it may be more lonely at the bottom...
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Menswear Top Movers of 2016
MR: The Menswear Industry's Magazine
See publicationWe salute the Risk Takers, the Iconoclasts, the Visionaries, the Fighters in the Trenches, and all those with the wisdom and the courage to embrace change.
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The New Normal Department Store
LinkedIn
See publicationFor American department stores, from Nordstrom’s to Macy’s, Bloomingdales to Belk’s, Neiman Marcus to JC Penney and Kohl’s, along with their brand partners and vendors, 2015 came in like lion and went out like a lamb. In fact, the entire channel experienced a challenging first half, a tough third quarter… and then things got worse.
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Who Wants to Dress Like Ryan Seacrest?
New York Magazine
“The first time I met him in L.A.,” says David Katz, CMO of Randa Accessories, the company helping to bring Ryan Seacrest Distinction to market, “an article had come out that said: Is he too plain vanilla? Ryan said, ‘That’s interesting, ’cause 20 years ago, the favorite flavor was vanilla, and it will be 20 years from now.’ ”
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Style Made Smart
Wall Street Journal
See publicationThe idea was hatched by Randa Accessories, a New York company well-known in the menswear industry as the maker of accessories for brands including Kenneth Cole and Tommy Hilfiger. Randa executives approached Mr. Seacrest early last year, and the idea soon grew beyond accessories. In December, they met with Macy's general merchandise manager for the men's department, Richard Arnstein.
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State of the Industry: David J Katz
MR Magazine
See publicationDependence upon promotions and budget-centric consumers must give way to the creation of greater value and appropriate price premiums.
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The Shopping Gene
DM News
See publication"The name Pavlov may ring a bell; but it’s the name Darwin that is going to transform modern marketing."
Did you get your blue eyes from your father; your preference for salty snacks from your grandmother; and, your lust for a Mercedes from your great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather? The answer to why, when and how customers shop, in fact the answer to why economic theory and fact frequently disconnect, may lie in the study of 100,000 years of human evolution. -
Design For Response
Rockport Publishers
"Best Selling Title for Rockport Books in 2000. Special Edition 2005. This book gathers some of the world's best direct response programs from a range of media to give designers and clients a comprehensive, strategic understanding of why and how successful campaigns work. Includes detailed case studies followed by print, three-dimensional, and electronic examples.
Reveals the strategy and creativity behind seven highly successful, highly inventive projects.
Includes retail…"Best Selling Title for Rockport Books in 2000. Special Edition 2005. This book gathers some of the world's best direct response programs from a range of media to give designers and clients a comprehensive, strategic understanding of why and how successful campaigns work. Includes detailed case studies followed by print, three-dimensional, and electronic examples.
Reveals the strategy and creativity behind seven highly successful, highly inventive projects.
Includes retail, restaurant, corporate, nonprofit, events, and self-promotional pieces."Other authors -
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Brand Creation and Differentiation
Women's Wear Daily
See publicationAdmitting that he was “clearly not” a designer himself, Seacrest said he worked closely with Randa, which is producing the neckwear, tie bars, cuff links, belts and pocket squares...
Honors & Awards
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Visionary Award
The Lead
"The Visionary Award goes to an executive who can see the necessary steps for business evolution at every level, things the rest of us may not even understand.
The Visionary is a person who has shown time and time again that they can carry an organization through true transformation at multiple levels: organizational, business, and technology — with a consistent and proven vision." -
Artificial Intelligence Influencer
Coresight Research
Appointed as an "AI Influencer"by Coresight Research - Joining industry experts, thought leaders, academia, ethicists, and innovators who come together to explore the cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence.
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Elected to the RETHINK Retail “Global Retail Leaders" advisory board
RETHINK Retail
The RETHINK Retail Advisory Committee is comprised of the retail executives most actively sharing their ideas and engaging with their connections, on stages, and with the media. We feature the Advisory Committee across thought leadership content and turn to them for mentorship as they shape the growth and evolution of the Global Leaders community.
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Inducted into The Robin Report "Retail Radical" Hall of Fame
The Robin Report
The Robin Report has created the Radicals Awards in collaboration with SAP, to seek out and identify radical and innovative thinkers and doers, exclusively in the legacy or traditional brands and retail industries. Our premise was to celebrate the innovators within the legacy world who are driving fundamental transformation... Their challenges are enormously more complex in attempting to turn “battleships” into “speedboats,” than those who are starting from scratch, from a clean slate.
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LinkedIn Top Voice - Retail
LinkedIn Editors
Every day, over 2 million posts, videos and articles course through the LinkedIn feed, generating tens of thousands of comments every hour — and tens of millions more shares and likes. So, who stood out in 2018 — and who should you be following to stay ahead?
We dug into the data to reveal our 4th annual LinkedIn Top Voices list, uncovering today's must-follow professionals in finance and the economy.
To find standout voices, we use a combination of data and editorial signals. We…Every day, over 2 million posts, videos and articles course through the LinkedIn feed, generating tens of thousands of comments every hour — and tens of millions more shares and likes. So, who stood out in 2018 — and who should you be following to stay ahead?
We dug into the data to reveal our 4th annual LinkedIn Top Voices list, uncovering today's must-follow professionals in finance and the economy.
To find standout voices, we use a combination of data and editorial signals. We screen for engagement among professionals sharing in their area of expertise, looking at what kind of conversations — measured by engagement, including comments and re-shares — their original content is creating. We track relative follower growth, too: Are these professionals attracting dedicated fans in their particular sector? Finally, we emphasize quality and diversity; the list should reflect the world we work in.
These voices stood out most because of their consistency in sharing valuable expertise about major retail news and trends, from store closures by big name brands to new technologies that could change how customers shop. -
RetailWire "BrainTrust"
RetailWire.com
RetailWire is retailing’s premier online discussion forum, serving the industry as a free resource for over 15 years with compelling content that goes well beyond conventional headline reporting. Each business morning, our editors post timely topics worthy of commentary by the RetailWire BrainTrust panel of industry experts and general readership. The results are virtual round tables of industry opinion and advice covering the most dynamic trends and issues affecting the retailing industry.
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"Retail Guru"
BBN Times
BBN Times quickly and accurately delivers serious business and scientific information around the world. We provide our readers human expertise to find trusted answers. We connect decision makers to you.
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LinkedIn Top Voice - Retail
LinkedIn
Selected by LinkedIn's editors as one of the "LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017." An honor, and a responsibility.
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Fashion Industry "Change Agent" - WWD
WWD Women's Wear Daily
Named by Women's Wear Daily, WWD, as a Fashion Industry "Change Agent" along with leaders from Macy's, JCPenney, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ryan Seacrest and others.
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Fashion Industry Top "Menswear Mover"
MR Magazine
Listed as one of the fashion industry's "icons and visionaries" for 2016. I'm in great company. I want to thank my fellow Randa managers; they all earned this award. DJK
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Best Selling Author - "Design for Response"
Rockport Publishers
This book gathers some of the world's best direct response programs from a range of media to give designers and clients a comprehensive, strategic understanding of why and how successful campaigns work. Includes detailed case studies followed by print, three-dimensional, and electronic examples.
Reveals the strategy and creativity behind seven highly successful, highly inventive projects.
Languages
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"Hello, World!" Python, SQL, and HTML (I miss FORTRAN)
Professional working proficiency
Organizations
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American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
Board Member
- PresentAAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its three million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $350 billion in annual U.S. retail sales.
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YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund
Board Member
- PresentFounded in 1937, The YMA Fashion Scholarship fund is an international non-profit organization composed of influential members of the fashion industry. The Fashion Scholarship Fund’s goal is to advance the fashion industry by encouraging gifted and enterprising young people to pursue careers in design, merchandising, retailing and business so the industry will continue to attract dedicated, capable and creative individuals.
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