Linda J. Wachner

Who is Linda J. Wachner?

Linda Joy Wachner 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.

She led a $550m buyout of Warnaco Inc. in 1986 which saw her take control of the company. During this time Warnaco oversaw brands which included Speedo and Calvin Klein.

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 Films.

In 1996, Wachner was reported to be the highest-paid female corporate executive in the United States.

In 2000, Calvin Klein, Inc. sued both Warnaco and Wachner individually for trademark violations, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract. 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.