Brand management company names new chief executive officer after the departure of founder Neil Cole.

Iconix’s board of directors has appointed John Haugh as the company’s president, effective immediately, and as chief executive officer, effective April 1.

The announcement of Haugh’s appointment follows the exit of founder Neil Cole, who stepped down from his position as chief executive officer, chairman and president in August 2015 to pursue other business opportunities.

In addition to Haugh’s appointment, Peter Cuneo, interim chief executive officer, will transition to executive chairman.

Prior to joining Iconix, Haugh held key executive positions with Luxottica, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Mars Retail Group. He has also held senior marketing, strategy and sales roles with Payless ShoeSource, Universal Studios and General Mills. Haugh is a member of the board of directors for Aeropostale and serves on the board of trustees for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

“Our board has identified in John a talented experienced executive who can focus Iconix on accelerating organic growth with our portfolio of brands and on exploring opportunities for new acquisitions,” says Cuneo. “During the past six months, I have worked closely with our management team to diligently review our operations, to focus on refinancing our maturing 2016 convertible notes and to work with the SEC to conclude its comment letter process. We are well positioned for the next stage of growth under John’s leadership.”

Since its launch more than a decade ago, Iconix has grown to include of portfolio of brands including Candie’s, Joe Boxer, London Fox, Mossimo, Sharper Image, Peanuts and more. The company is the fourth largest licensor in the world, bringing in $13 billion in sales of licensed merchandise in 2014, according to License! Global’s Top 150 Global Licensors report.