Yesterday, Arie Kopelman, the former president and chief operating officer of Chanel, has died at the age of 86 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on September 23, 1938, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kopelman pursued a unique path, initially studying pre-med before majoring in art history at Johns Hopkins University. He later earned an MBA from Columbia University.
Kopelman began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he worked in marketing, followed by a 20-year tenure at the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB Worldwide). It was during his time at DDB that he first encountered Chanel as one of his clients.
In 1985, the owners of Chanel, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, appointed him president and chief operating officer of Chanel Inc. in New York. When Kopelman got to Chanel, the brand had two freestanding boutiques and an annual revenue of a reported $357 million. By the time he retired as president and chief operating officer in 2004, there were 17 brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S., and by 2014, the brand was doing $7 billion in sales. Kopelman’s success stemmed from a strategy focused on store remodels, increased advertising, and expanding Chanel’s skincare line.
Kopelman retired in 2004, succeeded by Maureen Chiquet, but continued to serve as vice chairman for another four years. Beyond Chanel, he was deeply committed to philanthropy, working with charities and nonprofits, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Columbia Business School. In 2022, Kopelman was honored with the Legacy Award at the Personal Care Product Council’s DreamBall, where he reflected on his success, remarking, “the harder you work, the luckier you get.”
