FN's 2012 Power 100

President; EVP & President, Merchandising; Nordstrom Inc.
2011 Rank: 2
Hot Spot: The company revealed plans to bow its first full-line store in Manhattan in 2018, on West 57th Street, with 285,000 square feet over seven floors. New Terrain: A deal with Cadillac Fairview will bring four full-line stores to Canada between 2014 and 2016, with more planned over the long term. High Tech: Nordstrom stayed at the forefront of e-commerce, which grew 40 percent year-to-date, by enhancing its online selection of shoes, expanding the use of mobile technology in-store and launching an iPad app with an interactive “dressing room.” Power Players: Erik Nordstrom, EVP, president, stores; Scott Meden, GMM, shoe division; Jeffrey Kalinsky, EVP, designer merchandising

Chairman; President, CEO; Nike Inc.
2011 Rank: 1
Revenue: Hurt by weakness in China, Nike earnings fell 12 percent to $567 million in the first quarter. Auction Block: The company’s plans to sell the underperforming Cole Haan and Umbro businesses saw results last week when Iconix Brand Group Inc. picked up Umbro for $225 million. Misstep: It was a rough year for Nike-affiliated sports figures, as the company severed ties with Lance Armstrong over doping allegations this month, and removed longtime Knight friend Joe Paterno’s name from its childcare center this summer. Power Players: Charlie Denson, president, Nike brand; Jim Calhoun, president, CEO, Converse; Larry Miller, president, Jordan brand

Designer, Principal; Christian Louboutin
2011 Rank: 3
Launch Pad: The most sought-after designer made an aggressive push into the men’s business this year by opening his first New York men’s-only boutique. Men’s stores in London and Los Angeles will debut next. Milestone: Louboutin celebrated his 20th anniversary and was honored with a retrospective exhibit at the Design Museum in London. Secret Plans: A beauty line is in the works, slated to launch next summer. Battleground: A U.S. court upheld Louboutin’s trademark in his suit against Yves Saint Laurent. Power Player: Alexis Mourot, group COO, GM

Chairman, President, CEO; Foot Locker Inc.
2011 Rank: 5
Sales Chart: Strong growth in Q2 is setting the stage for 2013 — net income in the quarter was $59 million, a 59.5 percent lift over the year-ago period, with revenues rising 7.2 percent to $1.37 billion and comps up 9.8 percent. Retail Exploration: In September, the company teamed with Nike to debut Yardline, a football-focused shop-in-shop concept in Champs stores that will expand in 2013. Hicks announced other store tests, including a new look and nameplate for Lady Foot Locker, will roll out this winter and into spring. Stock Watch: Year to date, Foot Locker’s stock is up 45.6 percent. Power Players: Dick Johnson, EVP, COO; Jake Jacobs, president, CEO, Foot Locker U.S., Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction

Chairman, President, CEO; Macy’s Inc.
2011 Rank: 6
Grand Stand: The firm kicked off a $400 million, multiyear renovation of the Macy’s Herald Square flagship with the world’s largest shoe department, totaling 63,000 square feet and featuring four luxury brand shop-in-shops. Channel Marker: Through a new deal, Finish Line will merchandise and run its entire athletic assortment via leased departments in roughly 450 Macy’s doors and on Macys.com. Power Players: Muriel Gonzalez, EVP, GMM, cosmetics, fragrances, shoes, Macy’s; Michael Gould, chairman, CEO, Bloomingdale’s; Debbie King, VP, DMM, women’s shoes, Bloomingdale’s

President, CEO; Brown Shoe Co.
2011 Rank: 4
C-Suite: Sullivan continued to build her executive team, appointing Mark Schmitt as chief information officer and Russ Hammer as CFO. Double Down: Brown further upped its focus on the contemporary category, namely its Sam Edelman, Via Spiga and Vera Wang labels, as well as the healthy-living arena. Acquisition: The Sam & Libby label was brought into its stable. Power Players: Ron Fromm, chairman; Rick Ausick, division president, Famous Footwear; Dan Friedman, president, global sourcing, supply chain; Jay Schmidt, division president, contemporary fashion; Sam Edelman, division president, Sam Edelman Shoe; Libby Edelman, SVP, creative director, Sam Edelman Shoe; John Mazurk, division president, healthy living brands

CEO; President, CEO, Branded Businesses; Chief Creative Officer; The Jones Group Inc.
2011 Rank: 7
Acquisition: The firm further elevated its designer portfolio with the Brian Atwood buy. Open for Business: Jones began rolling out revamped Nine West boutiques, starting with the New York flagship. Kurt Geiger came stateside with its first U.S. store, in San Francisco. Launch Pad: Rachel Roy went upscale, debuting a high-end shoe line to complement her Rachel Rachel Roy collection. Power Players: Brian Atwood, founder, creative director, Brian Atwood; Rachel Roy, founder, creative director, Rachel Roy; Kathy Nedorostek, group president, global footwear, accessories; Neil Clifford, CEO, Kurt Geiger; Sally Ross, EVP, merchandising

Chairman, CEO; Adidas AG
2011 Rank: 9
Revenue: Adidas brand revenue rose 14 percent in Q2, with 2012 expected to be up 10 percent over 2011. In September, Hainer raised the 2015 sales forecast by 5 percent to 12.8 billion euros. Misstep: Reebok continued to struggle. Adidas now expects 2015 sales for Reebok to be about 2 billion euros, a third lower than previous targets. Star Power: Rapper Nicki Minaj joined the Adidas All Originals campaign, and this month teen heartthrob Justin Bieber became the face of the youth-focused Neo sub-brand. Power Players: Erich Stamminger, executive board member, head of global brands; Patrik Nilsson, president, Adidas America; Uli Becker, president, Reebok

Creative & Design Chief; Chairman, CEO; Steven Madden Ltd.
2011 Rank: 10
Star Power: The Olsen twins were appointed as creative directors of Italian sneaker brand Superga in the U.S. Stock Watch: Shares of the company have risen about 27 percent to about $44 year-to-date as first-half group revenue surged 47.9 percent and EPS jumped 14.4 percent. Acquisition: Madden bagged Betsey Johnson when the brand filed for bankruptcy in April. World Stage: The firm bought its Canadian license, SM Canada, to enhance its presence in department stores and specialty stores. Power Player: Robert Schmertz, brand director

Chairman, President, CEO; Wolverine World Wide Inc.
2011 Rank: 11
Buy In: Wolverine scored this year’s biggest deal by snapping up Collective Brands Inc.’s Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Keds and Stride Rite brands for $1.24 billion. Wild Card: The firm’s core business was hard-hit by prolonged economic malaise in Europe, which is not expected to meaningfully improve in the near term. Now Showing: In what it called “the single biggest product launch in the history of the company,” Merrell debuted M-Connect, footwear engineered for everything from trail running to hiking. Star Power: In a three-year deal, country pop star Taylor Swift signed on to be Keds’ brand ambassador and design limited-edition styles. Power Players: Jim Zwiers, SVP, president, Outdoor Group; Gregg Ribatt, president, CEO, Performance & Lifestyle Group

Founder, Chairman, CEO, Amazon.com; CEO, Zappos.com
2011 Rank: 8
Grand Stand: Hsieh is spending considerable time and money — $350 million — to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. Misstep: Zappos was hit with a security breach in January, scaring 24 million consumers and pushing Hsieh into damage-control mode. Sales Chart: Net sales for Amazon increased 29 percent to $12.83 billion in Q2, though largely fueled by Kindle sales. Folded: Amazon merged operations of Endless.com into the parent company. New Tech: The new online service Zappos Pinpointing provides shoe suggestions based on a shopper’s Pinterest boards. On Site: An Amazon subsidiary debuted sporting-goods driven Afterschool.com on Oct. 19. Power Players: Fred Mossler, head of merchandising, Zappos; Steve Hill, VP, merchandising, Zappos

Designer; President; Manolo Blahnik USA
2011 Rank: 14
Dealmaker: As he continued to build momentum in the U.S., Blahnik, who until recently had just one point of sale in the U.K., inked a long-term deal with Kurt Geiger to sell the brand at Harrods and Liberty. The designer also expanded in France, at Printemps. Star Power: Blahnik, who teamed up with 24 brands on the runway last month in London and New York, got the industry talking with his flat gladiator sandals for Victoria Beckham. Power Player: Kristina Blahnik, deputy managing director, Manolo Blahnik International

Founder, Chief Designer, CEO; Camuto Group
2011 Rank: 17
New Terrain: Camuto moved into men’s footwear this year with a companion collection under his namesake label. Launch Pad: The high-end VC Signature line of shoes and handbags debuted. Global Push: A deal with Kurt Geiger will expand distribution of the company’s brands in the U.K. and Europe. Open for Business: Retail expansion ramped up, with five openings in New York and 30 internationally. C-Suite: Bob Galvin exited his role as president in January. Power Players: Louise Camuto, creative director, president, marketing; Alex DelCielo, COO; Jeff Howald, CFO

Chairman; President, CEO; New Balance
2011 Rank: 12
Milestone: The brand’s 990 model celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special made-in-America version. Secret Plans: The company is looking into European territories like Bosnia and Bulgaria for sourcing opportunities. Double Down: To put a bigger focus on the lifestyle category, New Balance is collaborating with sneaker boutiques on remakes of classic styles. Hot List: Designer Jacqueline Quinn was tapped to create a dress made out of materials from the 860v2 running shoe, and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak co-designed a new cross-training shoe for the brand.

Chairman, President, CEO; VF Corp.
2011 Rank: 18
Global Push: The company aims to double its Asia-Pacific business to $2 billion by 2017, at an annual growth rate of 17 percent, capitalizing on brands including Timberland, Vans and The North Face. Sales Chart: Revenues jumped 19.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2012, powered by growth in the outdoor and action-sports portfolio. Vans also plans to nearly double revenues to $2.2 billion by the end of 2016. Power Players: Karl Heinz Salzburger, VP, VF Corp., group president, international; Steve Rendle, VP, VF Corp., group president, Outdoor & Action Sports Americas; Patrik Frisk, president, Timberland; Kevin Bailey, president, Vans

Chairman, CEO; President; Skechers USA Inc.
2011 Rank: 16
Milestone: The brand turned 20 this year. Internal Medicine: No longer faced with excessive toning inventory, Skechers focused on heritage lines and its performance division. In Japan, it transitioned from a distributorship to a wholly-owned subsidiary, which could double sales in the country over the next five years. Legal Trouble: The company paid $45 million to settle a dispute with the Federal Trade Commission over charges of deceptive toning ads. Media Blitz: Mark Cuban, Joe Montana and Tommy Lasorda joined forces for the brand’s fall ’12 ads. Power Player: David Weinberg, COO, CFO

President, CEO; Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
2011 Rank: 13
Open for Business: The retailer continued to accelerate its small-format program and plans to more than double the number of compact concepts by fiscal 2016. Test Lab: Executives are experimenting with same-day delivery services in four markets: San Francisco’s Bay area, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. Global Push: Wal-Mart raised its stake in Chinese e-tailer Yihaodian to 51 percent, to boost its online presence in China. Power Players: Bill Simon, president, CEO, Wal-Mart U.S.; Douglas McMillon, president, CEO, Wal-Mart International

Chairman, CEO; Neiman Marcus Group
2011 Rank: 21
New Terrain: Neiman Marcus will enter China’s booming luxury market with an e-commerce site by year’s end. Highlight: Bergdorf Goodman turned 111, celebrating with special events, exclusive products and pop-up shops. Double Down: Bergdorf’s Manhattan men’s shoe department doubled its space and added a library theme. Next Big Thing: In December, Neiman is collaborating with Target on limited-edition fashion and home items from 24 CFDA designers. Secret Plans: IPO rumors swirl again. Power Players: Jim Gold, president, specialty retail, Neiman Marcus Group; Joshua Schulman, president, Bergdorf Goodman; Ken Downing, SVP, fashion director, Neiman Marcus; Linda Fargo, SVP, fashion office, store presentation, Bergdorf Goodman

Chairman, CEO; President, Chief Merchandising Officer; Saks Inc.
2011 Rank: 19
Reinvention: Saks renovated and expanded the 10022-SHOE salon at its New York flagship, consolidating women’s shoes on a single floor. Forward: The 10022-SHOE concept rolled out in four additional doors, bringing the total to 15. Hot New Store: The department store planted its first retail flag in oil-rich Kazakhstan. Key Ops: To reduce its inventory burden, Saks is experimenting with drop shipping certain merchandise, including footwear. Power Players: Cody Kondo, group SVP, GMM; Tracy Margolies, VP, DMM

CEO; Labelux
2011 Rank: 15
Brand Standouts: Following the departures of Tamara Mellon and Joshua Schulman from Jimmy Choo, the label generated buzz when it installed co-creative directors Sandra Choi and Simon Holloway as the new faces of the brand. Mieck also inked a deal with Schwartz & Benjamin to expand the footwear offerings for Derek Lam for next spring. C-Suite: Jimmy Choo named Pierre Denis as CEO. Power Player: Andrew Marshall, CEO, developing brands