Nine West names Joel Oblonsky chief executive

Former president of Ralph Lauren’s Polo and Lauren Footwear brands, Joel Oblonsky has been named the new chief executive officer of the Nine West and Bandolino division of Nine West Holdings, Inc., effective immediately.

In his role as chief executive of Nine West and Bandolino, he will be responsible for leading the business operations and brand strategy for both brands, a press statement from the footwear company confirmed.

Oblonsky has more than 20 years of experience in footwear and accessories and stepped down from his role at Ralph Lauren Polo in September, a post he held since 2007. While there, Oblonsky grew both brands into market leaders in footwear and accessories.

Prior to his role at Ralph Lauren, Oblonsky served as president and chief operations officer of Nina Footwear Corporation from 2004 to 2007, where he was credited with significantly increasing wholesale sales and successfully established the brand. In addition, he also held numerous management roles at Nine West including president of Bandolino from 1999 to 2003.

“We are very excited to have Joel return to Nine West as CEO of the Nine West and Bandolino division,” said Ralph Schipani, interim chief executive of Nine West Holdings. “Joel has a deep understanding of operations and strategy, bringing two decades of senior leadership experience in footwear and accessories.”

Schipani added: “We believe Joel is a great fit for Nine West and Bandolino given his familiarity with our brands and his track record of profitably growing businesses, and we look forward to his immediate contributions.”