Celia Clancy is the new chief executive officer of Joyce Leslie Inc.
Clancy, who took over the post on Tuesday, succeeded co-presidents Nancy Shapiro and Joyce Segal. Both Shapiro and Segal, who have been involved in the family business for more than 40 years, will continue with the company as consultants, and remain on the company’s board.
Segal said, “It is time for Nancy and I to retire and turn our family’s legacy over to Celia and the management team.”
Clancy has more than 30 years experience in retail and women’s apparel. She was most recently ceo and president at Ashley Stewart Inc. from 2011 to 2013. She has had stints at the A.J. Wright division of The TJX Cos. Inc., and at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Clancy also served as a senior operations consultant at Cerberus Capital Management. She began her career in Filene’s, and held positions at Bradlees Inc.
Julius H. Gewirtz founded Joyce Leslie in 1945. Originally a hosiery and undergarment specialty store, Gewirtz changed the retail concept to women’s apparel in the early 1970s. Headquartered in Moonachie, N.J., most of the stores are clustered in and around the New York metro area.
