KING COLE; IT'S BEEN A BLOCKBUSTER YEAR FOR NEIL COLE. HE ENGINEERED FOUR ACQUISITIONS IN EIGHT MONTHS AND ALONG THE WAY, INTRODUCED A BOLD NEW BUSINESS MODEL TO THE REST OF THE INDUSTRY.(Brief article)

Footwear News, December, 2006 by Abel, Katie

Byline: KATIE ABEL

In 2006, Neil Cole proved that a little unconventional thinking can go a long way.

The 49-year-old chairman and CEO of Iconix Brand Group has rapidly transformed his business from a struggling footwear firm into a licensing and brand-management powerhouse that now includes nine labels. Cole's formula for success is simple: buy brands and license their operations out to other companies. Iconix, which still oversees marketing for each label, collects guaranteed licensing royalties - and that income goes directly to its bottom line.

"Other people do the heavy lifting. In this age of specialization, I think that works," Cole told Footwear News during a recent interview at the company's midtown Manhattan headquarters. "The...

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