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Which employer did Mindy Grossman work for from 2017 to 2018?
Mindy Grossman Mindy Grossman ( born September 8 , 1957 ) is the CEO of WW International ( formerly Weight Watchers ) . The Financial Times listed her in the top 50 women in world business in 2010 and 2011 , and she has been ranked among Forbes 100 most powerful women in the world for the years 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 . In 2014 she was #22 in Fortunes Top People in Business . Grossman began her career in 1977 in the menswear industry . After 28 years in the apparel industry , including nine highly successful years at Ralph Lauren Corporation and six equally successful years at Nike , she became CEO of HSN in 2006 . She aggressively reinvented and relaunched the brand , took HSN public in 2008 , and oversaw its multi-billion-dollar retail portfolio and multimedia expansion . In July 2017 she left HSN to become CEO of WW International . Early life and education . Mindy Grossman was born September 8 , 1957 . Her adoptive parents were Donald and Elaine Waldman , a Jewish produce dealer and homemaker on Long Island , New York , who had married young but had been unable to have children . She attended Manhattanville College in Westchester County , New York , and transferred to George Washington University in Washington , D.C . She intended to go to law school after graduation . However , in her senior year at George Washington University , she broke off her engagement to her high-school boyfriend and dropped her plans to attend law school , and instead moved to New York City to go into the fashion industry . Career . 1977–1991 . Grossman moved to New York City in 1977 , and was offered a job working for a company called Manhattan International . It was a menswear conglomerate at the time , and she was an assistant to the president of their international division . From 1978 to 1980 , she was an account executive at Jeffrey Banks menswear . From 1980 to 1981 , she was an account executive at Ron Chereskin menswear . From 1981 to 1985 , she was a regional sales manager at Merona , and then vice-president of sales at Jeffrey Banks ; both Merona and Jeffrey Banks were at the time divisions of Oxford Industries . From 1985 to 1988 , Grossman worked for WilliWear by Willi Smith . She started out as Vice President of Sales and in 1987 became Vice President of Menswear . From 1988 to 1991 she was Vice President of Sales and Merchandising at Tommy Hilfiger . She was in nearly on the ground floor at Tommy Hilfiger , which had been incorporated in 1985 . Grossman later recalled , At the time , it was a small company , and sales were meteoric . They went from around $38 million to $350 million . 1991–2006 . Ralph Lauren . From 1991 to 2000 , Grossman worked for brands by Ralph Lauren . From 1991 to 1994 , she was President of Chaps Ralph Lauren , a division of Warnaco , Inc. , and she was Senior Vice President of Menswear for Warnaco , Inc . during those years as well . Chaps was Ralph Laurens midprice department-store brand ; She turned around the Chaps division and grew its annual revenues from $26 million to $250 million . She was Vice-President of New Business Development at Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation from 1994 to 1995 . During that period , she developed new brand concepts , including Polo Jeans . She convinced Lauren that in order to attract customers at a younger age he needed to embrace new ideas , and that Polo Jeans Company was a good way to make lifelong customers out of a younger audience . Grossman calls starting Polo Jeans my start-up experience ; she was its President and CEO from 1995 to 2000 , launched the brand in 1996 , and took it from a standing start to a $450 million business , building it into the leading department store status denim brand . Nike . In 2000 , Grossman joined Nike , Inc. , where she served as Vice President of Global Apparel from 2000 to 2006 , overseeing its worldwide multi-billion-dollar apparel business . Nike CEO Phil Knight had brought her in to revive Nikes sagging apparel business , capitalizing on her expertise in fashion , brand strategy , product development , and retail space management . In her capacity as head of global apparel , she oversaw global strategic planning ; product development ; and global apparel manufacturing , operations , sourcing , merchandising , advanced innovation , quality assurance , and compliance and sustainability . She was also responsible for Nikes womens business . She aggressively and successfully reengineered the entire apparel organization , and created three sub-brands for Nike apparel : Nike Performance , targeted to athletes and aspirational consumers ; Nike Active , a line to be worn from gym to street ; and Nike Fusion , apparel with higher-performance fabrics and aggressive styling . Under her leadership , Nike also rolled out new NikeWomen stores , launched NikeWomen catalogues , and started a new division called Fitness Dance . She advanced Nikes apparel innovation agenda , led the development and growth of the global womens business , and created and co-chaired Nike’s Global Women’s Leadership Council . Grossman was credited with showing a footwear company how to be an apparel company . She brought her strong fashion background to Nikes apparel and regenerated it , devoting much of her energy to the companys weaker womens wear business . Nikes apparel businesss annual revenue was $2.7 billion when she joined in 2000 ; by the end of fiscal year 2005 she had grown it to $4.1 billion , which was 32% of Nike brand revenues . 2006 to 2017 : HSN . Arrival at HSN . By 2006 , after six years at Nike , Grossman desired a CEO position , preferably in a company where she did not need to commute across the country as she did at Nike . Nike had recently appointed its own new CEO and a new president , so she actively looked to find an opportunity in another company , seeking this time one that was direct-to-consumer , entrepreneurial but not a start-up , and one that she could transform by taking advantage of new technological advances . A recruiter approached her about IAC/InterActiveCorp ( IAC ) , the parent company of HSN , Inc. , and after studying HSNs broadcasts she realized that , in her words , HSN really needed to become more of a lifestyle network that would inspire people through products . Her vision was to offer inspiring lifestyle programming , particularly with charismatic celebrities , with all the products for sale – rather than the usual dry and old-fashioned standard sales format . She took the idea to Barry Diller , the head of IAC , and even though she had no television experience , no direct-to-consumer experience , and no experience in most of the product categories HSN sold , he hired her . In April 2006 , Grossman was appointed CEO of IAC Retailing , overseeing HSN , the catalog company Cornerstone Brands , Shoebuy.com , and IACs international retailing operations . HSN had had seven CEOs in the previous 10 years , and according to Grossman the company , offices , and employees seemed downtrodden and frozen in time . One of her first actions was to throw out all the old , broken , or dirty office furniture and give all employees Aeron chairs . In order to focus on revitalizing HSN , she closed IACs failing UK auction business , sold its German shopping channel , closed the down-market DirecTV clearance-shopping channel , and put another executive in charge of Cornerstone brands . She also eliminated negative or toxic employees , sought out committed , knowledgeable people within and outside the company to head up important divisions , and ensured that all employees were on board with the companys new vision . She also found that the network and brand itself was a very stagnant , linear , non-immersive experience . By October 2006 she rolled out HSNs new brand image , tagline , vision statement , customer intention , and advertising . The companys new manifesto was to create a new lifestyle experience for consumers . To implement the plan , she stopped selling $150 million worth of unsuitable brands , and worked hard to entice higher-end brands , and new personalities to sell products . Among many others , early on she recruited Sephora , Emeril Lagasse , and Todd English to sell on air . She also aired a two-hour fashion show of high-end apparel . In addition , she brought the companys call centers back to the U.S . from overseas . HSN relaunch and taking the company public . By mid 2007 the relaunch and redesign of HSNs channel , website , and campus were in effect , and the business started to turn around . In November of that year , Diller decided to break up IAC into several of its constituent companies , and to spin off HSN , Inc . as a public company via an IPO with Grossman as CEO . The IPO launched in August 2008 . A few weeks later the Lehman Brothers collapse occurred , with the subsequent stock-market plunge and recession . Grossman kept HSN afloat and thriving during the tenuous recessional years of 2008 and 2009 via intense economies and stringent dedication to her vision , and by tailoring HSNs marketing to her customers needs to economize . She continued to aggressively transform , redefine , and reinvent the HSN brand , improving its demographics and increasing the value of its stock from $10 at its IPO in August 2008 to $55 a share in 2014 . HSNs success fostered the launch of a second 24-hour television channel , HSN2 , in 2010 . Grossmans turn-around approach was multi-faceted : she upgraded product level to high-end products ; aggressively and preemptively implemented numerous digital and mobile access options ; made the shopping experience fun , immersive , entertaining , creative , informative , exciting , interactive , and inspiring ; and brought on board major celebrities and high-end fashion designers to sell their lines , most of them exclusive to HSN . Under her leadership HSN became a multi-platform business , providing a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels and platforms , accessible anytime and anywhere , that was entertaining , fun , and exciting . Forbes and Fortune termed the new brand a hybrid – a media , entertainment , technology , and retail business . Determined to stay ahead of the curve on the technology front , Grossman also introduced new HSN venues including Shop by Remote ( television remote control shopping ) , HSN Arcade ( online games ) , Video on Demand , HSN Live , shopping via YouTube , and in-flight shopping . She overhauled HSNs website and made HSN a major e-commerce presence ; as of 2013 HSN.com is one of the top 10 most-trafficked e-commerce sites . She evolved HSN from a linear network to a multi-platform business , creating a boundaryless retail ; according to Fast Company , nearly half the HSNs revenue comes through digital platforms . She recruited major celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez , Queen Latifah , Mariah Carey , Iman , P . Diddy , Padma Lakshmi , Martha Stewart , Jessica Simpson , Keith Urban , Nicki Minaj , Mary J . Blige , and Serena Williams , and major cosmetics companies such as Lancôme and Stila , to appear on the network and sell their own brands of merchandise , most of them exclusively created for HSN . She brought in high-end fashion designers to sell exclusive fashion lines on the network , garnering Grossman and HSN a front row at Fashion Week . She also created partnerships with major companies like Disney and other Hollywood studios to sell merchandise , invited movie and television-series tie-ins , and aired live concerts by singers such as Rod Stewart and Randy Travis . HSN became a Fortune 1000 company in 2009 . As of 2014 , Grossman is one of only 51 women who lead a Fortune 1000 company . In 2015 , Fortune published an article stating that from 2002 through 2014 , Fortune 1000 companies led by women have performed three times better than the S&P 500 , and that HSNs returns since its IPO were one of the top two , even despite the stock-market meltdown which immediately followed its initial public offering . Other retailers , including Penneys , Target , and Avon , have attempted to recruit Grossman to head their companies . 2017 to present : WW . Arrival at WW . On April 26 , 2017 , Weight Watchers ( now WW ) announced that Mindy Grossman would take over as CEO in July 2017 , replacing former CEO James Chambers who resigned from the company in the fall of 2016 . Once in office , she said that her plan included a push beyond dieting and into well-being , as well as a partnership with Oprah Winfrey , who holds almost 15% of WWs shares and sits on its board of directors . Directorships and advisories . Grossman has been a director of HSN , Inc . since it went public in August 2008 . She has been a director of Bloomin’ Brands since 2012 . She serves on the Board of Directors of , and as of 2015 is Vice Chair of , the National Retail Federation . She also serves on the Board of Directors of , and as of 2015 is Chair of , the National Retail Federation Foundation , the charitable arm of the National Retail Federation . She is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Fashion Institute of Technology’s Executive Women in Fashion . She is a member of the Industry Advisory Board of the Jay H . Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of Business . She is also an advisor at the venture capital firm Metamorphic Ventures . Grossman is on the Board of Directors of the United States Fund for UNICEF . She also founded and spearheads HSN Cares , the philanthropic arm of HSN . In June 2017 , Grossman joined the Board of Directors of sports apparel e-commerce retailer Fanatics . Awards and honors . - Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women ( 2009 ) - Financial Times Top 50 women in world business ( 2010 ) - Financial Times Top 50 women in world business ( 2011 ) - Forbes World’s 100 most powerful women ( 2011 ) - Fast Companys Top 100 Most Creative People in Business ( 2011 ) - Woman of Achievement Award from the Womens Project Theater ( 2011 ) - Corporate Innovator of the Year at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Florida Awards ( 2011 ) - Business Insiders 50 Sexiest CEOs Alive ( 2012 ) - Forbes World’s 100 most powerful women ( 2012 ) - Forbes World’s 100 most powerful women ( 2013 ) - Matrix Award ( 2013 ) - Fortunes Top People in Business #22 ( 2014 ) - Womens Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award for Philanthropy ( 2016 ) Personal life . Mindy is married to Neil D . Grossman , an investment manager and investment analyst and the creator of Bloombergs Neilytics . They have one child . External links . - Culture Trumps Strategy – 48-minute talk by Grossman at the Stanford Graduate School of Business ( video , 2014 )