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Articles with HMA Quotes 
Kenneth Cole president resurfaces in Tribeca
Crain’s New York Business.com
January 19, 2006
by Bryan Keogh
Just three days after Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. said its president left to “pursue other opportunities,” 46-year-old Paul Blum resurfaced Thursday as chief executive officer of a Tribeca luxury jewelry and watch maker.
David Yurman Inc. was looking for an experienced outside manager “to take the company to the next level,” and Mr. Blum was a perfect fit, said Hal Reiter, the Herbert Mines Associates CEO who led the search committee.
Besides an interest in expanding the brand, the jewelry maker was also seeking a CEO to allow founders David and Sybil Yurman more time to focus on the creative aspects of the business, Mr. Reiter said. Mr. Blum, a Yonkers native, is the company’s first CEO.
A 15-year veteran of New York-based Kenneth Cole, Mr. Blum had launched an effort to reposition the company’s brands to focus more on upscale tastes with pricier, luxury clothing and accessories. Though sales had been up, the stock has been slumping and consolidation among clothing retailers was taking its toll.
But at Kenneth Cole, whose namesake was also its top executive, Mr. Blum was unable to fulfill his goal of running a company, he said.
“It was just time for me to find my own path as a CEO,” Mr. Blum said.
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