Fashion Group International names new chairman of the board

Fashion Group International has named James D'Adamo chairman of the board. This comes two months after the unfortunate death of the organization's longtime leader Margaret Hayes. D'Adamo is best known as the advertising director of Hearst, a position he has held for 14 years. The news was first reported by WWD.

D'Adamo has been on the board of FGI since 2009, so he is no stranger to the group. He first joined the organization back in 2001. Hayes was a longtime advocate for D'Adamo to be her successor. D'Adamo will be taking over the responsibilities that were handled by Donald Loftus, a longtime director of FGI who left the organization to pursue work in the theatre as a playwright and librettist.

“Margaret took FGI to great heights and gave her heart and soul to the organization. We are at a crossroads and now, we look forward to taking FGI into the future,” he said to WWD. “At FGI, everyone is welcome, even people who don’t play for the home team. We are in an industry where elitism rules. That has to stop. FGI has never been elite. You can be a patternmaker, a textile designer, an account executive, a public relations person and, yes, even a designer or CEO, and be an FGI member. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the women who started FGI. She was the antithesis of elite and the definition of grace doing good. Margaret carried on that tradition.”

D'Adamo's right hand woman will be Maryanne Grisz, FGI's managing director of events and operations. The organization is actively searching for a new CEO and president to replace Hayes.