Arie L. Kopelman

Arie Leonard Kopelman (September 23, 1938 – October 7, 2024) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He served as the President and COO of Chanel from 1986 until 2004, when he retired and was succeeded by former Banana Republic President Maureen Chiquet. Frank Kopelman, a Harvard Law School graduate whose family emigrated from Lithuania, practiced law, was a professor at Boston University, and was the youngest judge appointed in the state's history when he was appointed to a judgeship in Boston. Arie Kopelman's twin brother, David Kopelman, followed in the footsteps of their father, attended Harvard for his undergraduate and law degrees, and went on to become a judge.

After attending The Boston Latin School and the Williston Northampton School, Kopelman completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University and received an MBA from Columbia Business School. His first job after business school was working in the training program at Procter & Gamble at their headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. After three years at the company, he became an account executive at the advertising firm Doyle Dane Bernbach (also called DDB Worldwide), where over the next 20 years he ascended the ranks to become Vice Chairman and then the General Manager. During his tenure at DDB Worldwide, Kopelman worked with clients including JB Liquors, Heinz Ketchup, and Chanel, which was one of his largest accounts.

In 1985, the owners of Chanel, Alain Wertheimer and Gérard Wertheimer, hired Kopelman as Chanel Inc.'s president and chief operating officer at their headquarters in New York City.

During his tenure as president, the company released the fragrances Coco, Coco Mademoiselle, Chance, Allure, Allure for Men, Cristalle, Egoiste, and Egoiste Platinum. Coco Mademoiselle is often ranked among the world's best-selling fragrances. Kopelman was in charge of brand strategy for Chanel No. 5. As such, he put together its five-year multi-platform endorsement deal with Nicole Kidman as the face of the perfume, for which the director Baz Luhrmann created television advertisements.

Personal life and death Kopelman was married to Corinne "Coco" Franco.

The couple had two children, New York Times bestselling author, actress, and creator of the show Odd Mom Out, Jill Kargman (married to American businessman Harry Kargman

Kopelman died from pancreatic cancer at home in Manhattan on October 7, 2024, at the age of 86.

Kopelman was the recipient of the Fragrance Foundation (FiFi) Hall of Fame Award in 2005, and was awarded three CFDA awards. In 2000, he was awarded the "Living Landmark" award by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

From 1994 through 2017, Kopelman held the position of chairman of the Winter Antiques Show in New York City. He is credited with turning the show around by adding new leadership and infrastructure, and bringing new dealers into the fold.

Additionally, Kopelman served on the Board of Overseers for Columbia Business School, as well as on the board of the St. Bernard's School for Boys in New York City, the Municipal Art Society, and East Side Settlement House. He was the president of the board of the Nantucket Historical Association, who named a gallery in his honor after his passing. Kopelman's wife attended the school as a child, and there is now a studio there named after Kopelman.