Linda J. Wachner

Linda Joy Wachner (born February 3, 1946 ) is an American businesswoman. She was President and CEO of Warnaco Group Inc. from 1986 to 2001. She began her career as a buyer for department stores including Foley's and Macy's.

Biography Born to a Jewish family in New York City and raised in Queens, the daughter of Shirley and Herman Wachner. of which $500 million was borrowed via Drexel Burnham Lambert. In 1999, Warnaco reacquired Authentic Fitness for $504 million (~$ in ) ($414 million in cash and $120 million in the assumption of debt). The lawsuit stemmed from Warnaco's selling Calvin Klein branded jeans and underwear to warehouse clubs such as Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, which Klein contended devalued his brand name. Warnaco responded by saying that Klein had known of the sales to warehouse clubs all along and that he had failed to participate in meetings about the design of Warnaco's Calvin Klein clothing.

Warnaco filed for bankruptcy protection on June 11, 2001. In November of that year, Wachner left her position as chief executive of Warnaco, but continued to provide transition assistance during the company's bankruptcy. Wachner's contract (which would otherwise have entitled her to a payment of $43.6 million on termination) had been voided as a result of the bankruptcy.

Other In 1993, Fortune magazine listed Wachner among the seven "roughest, toughest, most intimidating bosses". Also on the list were T. J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, Steve Jobs of Next Computer, Herbert Haft of Dart Group, and Harvey and Bob Weinstein of Miramax. In 1996, Wachner was reported to be the highest-paid female corporate executive in the United States.

Wachner served on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall from 2015 to at least 2019.

Personal life In 1973, she married Seymour Appelbaum who was 31 years her senior; he died in 1983. They did not have any children.