Saks veteran Will Cooper is exiting the company after two decades.
A Saks Global spokesperson confirmed the move late Wednesday, noting that it was Cooper’s decision. He was most recently SVP of brand partnerships and buying, women’s handbags, shoes and accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
“Will has played an instrumental role as part of our brand partnerships and buying leadership team, and we are grateful to [him] for his many contributions over the years,” said the spokesperson in a statement. “The team remains focused on curating distinct and inspiring luxury fashion assortments for Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.”
Puck News first reported Cooper’s departure on Wednesday.
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During his tenure at Saks, Cooper rose from assistant buyer to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s designer ready-to-wear, shoes and handbags before taking on his most recent role in April. That move was part of a buying team reset related to the integration of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
While he touched several categories, Cooper is known for his influence in shoe and accessories. He cultivated key relationships with major brands. The executive has also been a supporter of emerging talent and appeared on the FN Summit Stage in 2022 with a group of young designers.
Cooper helped lead the most recent renovation of Saks’ 10022-Shoe floor, which got a major facelift in 2020. “It’s critically important to evolve,” he said in an interview at the time.
Evolution is certainly a key theme at Saks Global during a period of change and challenge.
This summer, the company made a $120 million interest payment on bonds financing the Neiman Marcus deal; in July began to catch up on overdue bill payments to vendors, and in August wrapped up a debt restructuring, leading to a $600 million financing package.
Saks Global — which has revealed several rounds of layoffs since the acquisition closed — plans to cut $600 million in annual costs over the next few years.
