William L. McComb
Chief Executive Officer, Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc.
Member
William L. McComb is chief executive officer of Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Upon joining the company (formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.) in November 2006, Mr. McComb was presented with dramatically falling revenue and earnings, an over-levered balance sheet, and fading customer relationships. Over the past several years he has transformed the business by right-sizing the brand portfolio, increasing retail capabilities, building strong teams, and rationalizing global cost structures—all while strategically investing across the company to build powerful brands and position Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. for the future.
Prior to joining Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc., Mr. McComb was company group chairman of Johnson & Johnson. His fifteen year career at J&J centered on consumer product businesses, with additional experience in both pharmaceuticals, and most recently their orthopaedic and neurological device businesses, for which he was directly responsible.
Mr. McComb began his career with Johnson & Johnson in 1992 as an assistant product director for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company. He advanced through various marketing assignments and joined Johnson & Johnson – Merck in 1995 as group product director. Mr. McComb was named vice president, marketing, McNeil Consumer Products Company in 1999. In July 2001, he was named president of McNeil Consumer Healthcare, assuming additional responsibilities as president of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals and Ortho Women’s Health & Urology in July 2004.
Previously, Mr. McComb worked at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago, IL, working on advertising for The Procter & Gamble Company.
Mr. McComb serves on the Boards of the American Apparel & Footwear Association and the National Retail Federation. He is a member of Kilts Center for Marketing’s steering committee at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a member of the Business Roundtable. Mr. McComb formerly served on the boards of Business Solutions to Rural Poverty; GS1; OREF and INROADS of Philadelphia. He was vice chairman on the Executive Committee of Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), and a member of the CHPA’s Board of Directors from 2001 – April 2005. Mr. McComb also served as a member of the Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group Operating Committee.
Born in Columbia, MO, Mr. McComb earned a B.A. degree in economics from Miami University (Ohio) and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Mr. McComb and his wife are the parents of three children.