Mike Jeffries is an American businessman who was CEO of clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014. We will discuss details of Mike Jeffries’ wife, Susan Marie Isabel Hansen and other important aspects of his life in this write-up.
Who is Mike Jeffries?
Mike Jeffries was born in 1944 to Donald R. Jeffries, who owned a chain of party supply stores. He grew up in Los Angeles and attended Claremont Men’s College. He further went to the London School of Economics before receiving an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1968.
Mike Jeffries began his career in the fashion industry in the early 1970s. He started out working as a salesperson for the clothing retailer Paul Harris Stores in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1968, Jeffries joined the management training program at Abraham & Straus, a now-defunct New York City department store. During this time Jeffries worked along with Allen Questrom and Mickey Drexler.
In 1984, Jeffries founded Alcott & Andrews, a brand targeted at career women. The brand was initially successful, but in 1989 it fell into bankruptcy due to overexpansion, and closed. Afterward, he took a position at Paul Harris, a Midwest clothing chain.
Mike Jeffries Wife, Is Mike Jeffries Married?
In 1971, Mike Jeffries married Susan Hansen, who was a longtime partner and they have a grown son. However things took a different turn for Mike who later separated from according to various online sources who believed he was into the same S3x act.
It was stated that Jeffries is a “gay man” and that he lives separately from his wife. As of 2013, Jeffries was reported to be living with his partner, Matthew Smith and three dogs.
Mathew Smith headed the Jeffries Family Office, an Ohio limited liability corporation that “advocates for the personal interests of Abercrombie’s CEO.” Smith also reviewed internal Abercrombie & Fitch documents and consulted on real estate matters.
His involvement with Abercrombie & Fitch was criticised in some quarters as an example of poor corporate governance, since he held no official position in the company. Smith’s presence was a factor in Jeffries being ousted as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014.
A Look Into Mike Jeffries’ Career
Jeffries was hired in 1992 by Les Wexner (CEO of LBrands, then named The Limited) to invigorate Abercrombie & Fitch.The company, founded in 1892, had been purchased by Limited Brands in 1988 after bankruptcy. Jeffries is considered to have been the main creator of the new look for the company.
It was rebuilt as an upscale apparel retailer for the collegiate, and by the mid-1990s, Abercrombie & Fitch had opened dozens of new stores. By 1996, LBrands was no longer heavily involved with the company, and eventually left it under the management of Jeffries.
During this time, A&F has attracted controversy from different groups such as the feminist movement and the American Decency Association, and a number of lawsuits. An outspoken businessman, Jeffries has been quoted making statements in the press that can be considered controversial.
Such comments include his assertion that “We hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”
In 2004, he made approximately US$25 million with a “stay bonus” of $6 million, which dropped from $12 million after a controversy involving his “excessive compensation”.
