Who was J.Crew's first female CEO?
Answer
Jan Singer
J.Crew’s first female CEO was Jan Singer.
Singer became J.Crew Group’s chief executive in February 2020, after the company announced her appointment in January. She replaced interim CEO Michael Nicholson, who returned to his previous role as president and chief operating officer. Before joining J.Crew, Singer had led Victoria’s Secret Lingerie and Spanx, and held senior apparel roles at Nike, Reebok, Chanel, Calvin Klein, and Prada.
Her tenure coincided with a difficult period for the retailer. J.Crew filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after years of debt and weakening sales. The company emerged from bankruptcy in September, but Singer left later that year when Libby Wadle became CEO.
A common mix-up is Jenna Lyons, who was J.Crew’s influential creative director and president, not its CEO. Mickey Drexler was the company’s longtime male CEO before stepping down in 2017, while James Brett held the role from 2017 to 2018.