# Heather Gruccio

> Heather Salvatore Gruccio is Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer for Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Factory, the KnitWell Group brands headquartered at 7 Times Square in New York. A Wake Forest communications graduate, she built her merchandising career over nine years at Coach, sharpened it in mid-luxury at Tory Burch, and joined Ann Taylor in 2016 as Senior Director of Merchandising for non-apparel. She moved up to Vice President of Merchandising in 2017, SVP and GMM in 2020, and was elevated to EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer in 2025 after leading a product-and-perception reset that turned a 70-year-old mall brand into a name fashion press started writing about again. Her thesis is unfussy: women still want to look pulled together, they just want to be comfortable while doing it, and heritage is an asset rather than a liability if you actually know how to cut a jacket.

- **Role:** Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer at Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Factory (KnitWell Group)
- **Organizations:** Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, KnitWell Group, Tory Burch, Coach, Delivering Good (Women of Impact speaker)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, Communication, Wake Forest University
- **Known for:** Promoted three times within Ann Taylor in under a decade, from Senior Director to Executive Vice President, Led the merchandising reset credited with re-energizing the Ann Taylor brand from product through brand projection, Built merchandising expertise across accessories, footwear and ready-to-wear at Coach, Tory Burch and Ann Taylor

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Joins Coach, beginning a nine-year run across multiple product categories
- **2012** — Named Senior Director of Merchandising, Licensed Categories at Coach
- **2012** — Moves to Tory Burch to build mid-luxury fashion experience
- **2015** — Serves as Senior Director of Buying, Direct to Consumer - Shoes, Accessories and Ready to Wear at Tory Burch
- **2016** — Joins Ann Taylor as Senior Director of Merchandising, Non-Apparel
- **2017** — Promoted to Vice President of Merchandising, Ann Taylor
- **2020** — Named Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager for Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Factory
- **2023** — Ann Taylor, LOFT and Talbots are brought together under the newly formed KnitWell Group
- **2025** — Elevated to Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer for Ann Taylor
- **2025** — Quoted in Refinery29 on Ann Taylor's product-led revival and the brand's 70 years of heritage

## Achievements

- Promoted three times within Ann Taylor in under a decade, from Senior Director to Executive Vice President
- Led the merchandising reset credited with re-energizing the Ann Taylor brand from product through brand projection
- Built merchandising expertise across accessories, footwear and ready-to-wear at Coach, Tory Burch and Ann Taylor
- Rose to Senior Director of Merchandising for Licensed Categories at Coach after joining as an early-career merchant
- Recognized as a Delivering Good Women of Impact speaker
- Guest speaker at the National Student Leadership Conference

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Featured as a Delivering Good Women of Impact speaker, with a published bio tracing her Coach-to-Tory Burch-to-Ann Taylor career
- **2025-01** — Elevated to Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer for Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Factory
- **2025-01** — Quoted in Refinery29's feature on how Ann Taylor became a wardrobe favourite again, discussing heritage, prints and the mall-brand advantage

## Links

- Website: https://anntaylor.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-salvatore-gruccio-80b86853

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/heather-gruccio
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-27