Bob Ranftl to succeed Jane Nielsen as Ralph Lauren’s new COO

Ralph Lauren Corporation has appointed Bob Ranftl as chief operating officer (COO) effective March 30, 2025, succeeding Jane Nielsen, whose planned departure was previously announced as part of a multiyear strategic succession plan.

Ranftl, the company said in a release, who joined Ralph Lauren in 2015 and has served in multiple financial and commercial roles within the company, is currently the regional chief executive officer (CEO) for North America. He will be succeeded in this role by Mercedes Abramo, who will join the company on March 1, 2025.

Ranftl and Abramo will serve as members of the Company’s enterprise leadership team, reporting to Patrice Louvet, president and CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation.

Bob Ranftl to take over as COO of Ralph Lauren Corporation

As COO, Ranftl will oversee IT, logistics, real estate, architecture, and store design, as well as the company’s licensing organization, and will play a key role in enabling continued growth in the regions.

“With his global Ralph Lauren experience, extensive operational background and deep love for our brand, Bob is uniquely qualified to serve as our next chief operating officer after laying strong foundations that pivoted North America to growth,” said Patrice Louvet.

Ranftl, the company added, has held successive leadership roles at Ralph Lauren across multiple regions including as COO of North America, Asia Pacific and EMEA.

In his most recent role as Regional CEO for North America, Ranftl oversaw strategic expansion across key cities, direct-to-consumer entry into the Canadian market, and strategic repositioning of wholesale, putting the region back on a path for growth.

Ralph Lauren names Mercedes Abramo as CEO of North America

Abramo joins Ralph Lauren from Cartier, where she most recently served as deputy chief commercial officer.

“As we progress on our path toward long-term, sustainable growth in North America, Mercedes’s proven luxury retail and people leadership, and her deep understanding of the market and consumer, make her a natural choice to be our next regional CEO for North America,” added Louvet.

The company added that in her role as Regional CEO for North America, Abramo returns to New York, where her retail leadership career began, starting as director of Cartier’s Fifth Avenue flagship, before becoming vice president of retail and then president and CEO of Cartier North America.