Eileen Fisher to step down as CEO of her company

Eileen Fisher is stepping back from her eponymous company. The 71-year-old designer is stepping down from her CEO position and is looking to hire a new CEO so she can focus solely on fashion design. Fisher attempted this once before, and decided to take control of her company again, but this time she’s determined to find a CEO who is a good fit.

Fisher has tapped executive search firm Kirk Palmer Associates to help her find a new CEO by 2022. Fisher currently owns 60 percent of her company. Her goal Is to get the design department in top shape so she can eventually step away from that role as well.

Her company has been on the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement far before it became a larger topic in the fashion industry. In 2015, the company made a commitment to using sustainable materials in 100 percent of their products by 2020. Her brand was once described by the Council of Fashion Designers of America as the “ultimate sustainable label.” While the company hasn’t reached its goal of being 100 percent Eco-preferred yet, they do have their 2030 goals to have a more positive impact. For 37 years, Fisher has worked toward a sustainable approach to fashion.

Fisher plans on handing over the day-to-day operations of her business which currently employees 772 people and 58 retail stores. Fisher plans on still being involved in the daily operations and chairing the board.

The company generates 250 million dollars in sales, and the volume has declined in its wholesale business as they scaled back during the pandemic. While their consumers once skewed older, they have been able to appeal to a younger generation as millennial and gen z consumers demand sustainability from the fashion industry.