Visionary Voices Leadership Series featuring Ken Ohashi
Date: February 26, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm Doors Open; 6:00 pm Program Begins
Location: New York City; register for full details
Registration: If you have questions about this event or would like to attend, please contact us at [email protected].
On February 26, the USJC New York Region welcomed members and guests for an evening with Ken Ohashi, CEO of Brooks Brothers, as part of the Visionary Voices Leadership Series. Moderated by USJC Executive Vice President Fred Katayama, the conversation explored identity, leadership, and transformation at the helm of one of America’s most iconic brands.
Ken shared insights from his career spanning fashion, retail, brand management, and global business development, reflecting on the bold leadership required to guide Brooks Brothers through its highly publicized acquisition in 2020 and restore the 206-year-old company to profitability in less than two years. He spoke candidly about navigating uncertainty, making long-term strategic decisions under pressure, and repositioning a heritage brand for modern consumers.
Drawing from his extensive experience, Ken emphasized the importance of global perspective and building high-performing teams. He noted that leadership today demands both operational rigor and cultural fluency, particularly in industries shaped by rapidly shifting consumer behavior and global interconnectedness.
He also spoke about the power of storytelling in brand and executive leadership, as well as his commitment to valuing family and finding a balance that works for him and his loved ones. His reflections underscored that authentic leadership extends beyond business results to personal integrity and purpose.
Following the program, attendees gathered for a lively networking reception, which included the opportunity to shop Brooks Brothers’ new flagship location in Lower Manhattan with a special discount for guests.
Special thanks to Brooks Brothers for generously hosting the event, to USJC Executive Vice President Fred Katayama (JALD ’23) for moderating, and to Council Leader Darin Arita (JALD ’26; ALC ’23; New York Life) for organizing a meaningful evening that brought the USJC community together around shared values of leadership, reinvention, and connection.
Featured Speaker
Ken Ohashi
CEO
Brooks Brothers
Ken Ohashi is a highly regarded industry executive with more than 25 years of experience in fashion, consumer products, retail and business development. Ohashi is Brand Chief Executive Officer of Brooks Brothers, the iconic 206-year-old brand with $1B in global sales across 600-plus retail doors worldwide. Ohashi has led Brooks Brothers since its highly publicized acquisition in 2020, and transformed and repositioned the company to profitability in less than two years.
Catalyst Brands brings together SPARC Group’s brands Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand, Eddie Bauer and Nautica, with JCPenney and its exclusive private brands, including Stafford, Arizona and Liz Claiborne. Catalyst Brands, which has served over 60 million customers over the past three years, has broad consumer reach through a robust distribution network of owned stores, e-commerce sites and wholesale partners.
Prior to joining Brooks Brothers, Ohashi was President of International and Global Retail for Authentic Brands Group (ABG), leading the brand management, business development and marketing of ABG’s $4 billion portfolio of brands outside the U.S. Additionally, Ohashi oversaw the formation of SPARC Group, a joint venture between ABG and Simon Property Group that supports 4,000-plus retail doors and shop- in-shops, a leading e-commerce platform and $4.7 billion in global retail sales annually.
Ohashi previously served as Senior Vice President of International and Global Licensing for Aéropostale, where he oversaw the brand’s business development, merchandising, planning, corporate and store operations. Under Ohashi’s leadership, the brand’s international business experienced tremendous growth. In less than five years, Aéropostale expanded into new markets across Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America, and opened more than 300 stores in 17 countries.
Prior to his role as SVP, Ohashi served as Aéropostale’s Vice President of Investor and Media Relations. In this role, Ohashi managed communications around the company’s $3 billion market cap, as well as relationships with more than 30 equity research analysts, the company’s shareholders and Board of Directors, and the media. Ohashi first joined Aéropostale in 2002 to transition the company from privately held to publicly traded. He played a core role on the team that led the company through its $275 million initial public offering and $175 million secondary offering.
Before joining Aéropostale, Ohashi, who qualified as a Certified Public Accountant, spent four years in Arthur Andersen LLP’s Business Assurance and Advisory Group, where he specialized in audit and consulting to retail, fashion, advertising and pharmaceutical companies.
Ohashi’s work has been recognized by some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions. In 2010, Ohashi was ranked first in Institutional Investor (II) Magazine’s annual Wall Street survey in the Best Investor Relations Officer category, and was named to the publication’s 2010, 2011 and 2012 All-American Executive teams. In 2011, Ohashi was named Best IRO in the mid-cap 400 by Bloomberg and Investor Relations Magazine. In 2015, Ohashi was included as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center. In 2022, Ohashi was listed No. 1 in the LGBTQ+ Executive Role Model list presented by Outstanding and supported by Yahoo Finance U.K. Ohashi was also named to Gold House’s A100 List, the annual award for the 100 Asian Pacific leaders who most impacted culture and society.
An advocate for equity and the right to education, Ohashi formed a partnership between Brooks Brothers and Braven, an organization that helps first-generation and underrepresented students gain college readiness skills and land a solid first job. Brooks Brothers participates in study groups, mentoring, and funding new clothing for students. Brooks Brothers also supports StartOut, an organization that ensures that LGBTQ+ founders gain the resources, expert support and engagement to accelerate their ideas.
Ohashi lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Adam Freed, and their two children.