# Dara Pauker

> Dara Pauker is a retail strategist, operator, and founder and CEO of Dauntless Decisions, established in 2014. Her career includes leadership at Custo Barcelona North America and ghd North America, executive roles at Liz Claiborne and The Jones Group, advisory work for brands including Caleres and Lucchese, and executive education coaching. She served briefly as Destination XL’s chief operating officer in 2023.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Dauntless Decisions, LLC
- **Organizations:** Dauntless Decisions, LLC, Caleres, Inc. (advisory client), Lucchese (advisory client), Destination XL Group, Inc. (former COO), ghd North America (former president and general manager), Custo Barcelona North America (former CEO), Liz Claiborne, Inc. (former executive), The Jones Group (former executive), Bain & Company (early career), Columbia Business School executive education (coaching), Wharton Executive Education (coaching)
- **Education:** A.B., magna cum laude, Harvard University, MBA, Strategic Management and Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Founded Dauntless Decisions in 2014., Held North American leadership roles at Custo Barcelona and ghd., Served as Destination XL COO with stores, merchandising, global sourcing, and technology reporting to her.

## Career timeline

- **—** — Began her career at Bain & Company.
- **—** — Served as group director of strategic planning and subsequently vice president of brand operations at Liz Claiborne.
- **2009** — Joined Custo Barcelona as North America CEO, effective January 19.
- **—** — Held an executive role at The Jones Group.
- **2012-2014** — President and general manager of ghd Professional North America, January 2012 to June 2014.
- **2014** — Founded Dauntless Decisions in October.
- **2021** — Began consulting for Destination XL in December.
- **2023** — Became Destination XL COO January 27; left the company April 6.
- **2024** — Publicly described coaching the first cohort of Wharton Executive Education’s Chief Strategy Officer Program.

## Achievements

- Founded Dauntless Decisions in 2014.
- Held North American leadership roles at Custo Barcelona and ghd.
- Served as Destination XL COO with stores, merchandising, global sourcing, and technology reporting to her.
- Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Shared a video and reflections from the inaugural Consortium Brand Partners Consumer Retail Conference, discussing consumer discovery and brand belonging.
- **2024-02** — Posted about coaching the first Wharton Chief Strategy Officer Program cohort and praised the Allen Edmonds team’s craft, quality, and innovation.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-pauker

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dara-pauker
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24