Former Coach CEO Lew Frankfort on the Improbable Rise of Coach

Following the conversation, we invite you to join us for a reception with author meet-and-greet, book signing and light refreshments.

Bag Man: The Story Behind the Improbable Rise of Coach (Harvard Business Review Press, Oct. 14, 2025)

Lew Frankfort, Former CEO, Coach

Susan Christoffersen, Dean, Rotman School of Management

The longtime CEO of Coach shares stories and strategies behind the company's stunning growth from a $6 million business to a $5 billion global brand.

Lew Frankfort knew nothing about fashion when he became assistant to the founder of Coach. By the time he left, Frankfort had spent 29 years as CEO, growing Coach from a scrappy maker of leather bags with a small cult following to a beloved lifestyle brand. Along the way, Coach created a new market segment—accessible luxury—that redefined an industry. In Bag Man, Frankfort explains how the son of a Bronx policeman, after working in city government, built a business that challenged conventions, grew it 1000%, and became recognized as one of the world's best CEOs.

Bag Man offers lessons from both achievements and missteps as Coach reinvented itself over decades. Throughout, Frankfort considers a more personal aspect of leadership—how the double-edged sword of fear and drive can lead to success but also take a toll. He shares his struggles with a haunting fear of failure, including how it drove an obsession with consumer insights that made Coach unique in the industry.

Summing up Coach's philosophy in three words—"magic plus logic"—Bag Man shows how blending creativity and data-driven discipline can produce sustainable, profitable growth, helping to:

• Design and market products people love
• Build a roster of talent and a performance-driven culture
• Drive strategies that pair a brand's unique value with the right market opportunities
• Scale the business to achieve next-level organic growth
• Operate as a respected public company

A riveting, candid business memoir, Bag Man traces an extraordinary leadership journey that built a legacy brand.

Lew Frankfort is Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of Coach, Inc. He has been recognized multiple times on Barron’s “World’s Best CEOs” list and on Institutional Investor’s “Best CEOs in America” list. Frankfort is a co-founder of Benvolio Group, an investment firm that focuses on early-stage, disruptive, consumer-facing brands. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in New York City.

Susan Christoffersen is the Dean at Rotman, and the William A. Downe BMO Chair, Professor of Finance. From 2015 to 2020, Professor Christoffersen served as the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate and Specialized programs. Her research focuses on mutual funds and the role of financial institutions in capital markets. She has published in top finance journals and cited in The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg News Service, and The Wall Street Journal. Susan has received grants from SSHRC, IFM2, and FQRSC and research awards from Q-Group, Bank of Canada, BSI Gamma Foundation, INQUIRE, and the Swiss Finance Institute.

This event is available to attend in-person only.

Rotman Events is committed to accessibility for all people. If you have any access needs or if there are any ways we can support your full participation in this session, please email [[email protected]] no later than 2 weeks in advance of the event and we will be glad to work with you to make the appropriate arrangements.

The event will be hosted in Desautels Hall at the Rotman School of Management (105 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6).

• Refunds will only be issued for cancellations received in writing NO LATER than 24 hours prior to the event. Please email [email protected] for processing.

• In-person registrants who do not pick up their book at the event will have 5 business days to request postal delivery by emailing us at [email protected]. All unclaimed books will be returned to the publisher after that time.

Questions: [email protected]

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