• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Lee Scott joins Tory Burch board

Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2013, 12:24 PM ET

FORTUNE — Tory Burch, valued at more than $3 billion and known for its wildly popular ballet flats and print tunics, has also been adding some flair to its board of late.

The company recently added Lee Scott, the former President and CEO of Wal-Mart (WMT), to its board, CEO Tory Burch told FortuneThursday morning at the Most Powerful Women Summit.

“He adds a lot of spice. He’s a lot of fun,” Burch said of Scott, who is joined by a handful of other new board members including Richard Funes, the outgoing CFO of Estee Lauder, and investors Byron Trott, CEO of BDT Capital Partners and Bill Ford, CEO of General Atlantic.

The new members are part of Burch’s effort to bring in different perspective and “round out” the board. “I wanted to have a board that was strategic, and that would really help us look as we expanded in the U.S. and internationally.”

MORE:Complete coverage of the Most Powerful Women Summit

But new board members are only part of the story at Tory Burch, which also launched a fragrance and announced plans to make watches earlier this year. The company also settled a bitter legal battle with Burch’s ex-husband (and father of three of her children), Chris Burch, who after the divorce, founded C. Wonder, a company that looked and operated a lot like Tory Burch. As part of the settlement, Trott and Ford purchased half of Chris Burch’s stake in the company, leaving Tory owning an estimated 38% of the company.

“It was hard for me because of my family,” said Burch, who said her objective was to settle the legal suits quickly and effectively. She also focused on leadership and maintaining composure through the ordeal. “A lot of lessons came out of it. We’re in a great place,” she added.

How does she plan to keep that momentum going? Despite the company’s go-go, global growth Burch, who started the company less than 10 years ago in her Upper East Side kitchen, remains humble. “We think a lot about how to maintain that start-up mentality as the company gets bigger.”

“On some levels we’re just beginning. We look at ourselves as moving forward with momentum but always evolving,” she said. “We have a lot to do and a lot we want to do.”

Burch will soon be joined in the fashion business by two of her stepdaughters, who are launching their own company. Her advice to them — Burch is a “little bit” involved — “Buckle up. To be in business as a startup, you have no idea what will come your way.”

About the Author
Erika Fry
By Erika Fry
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
0

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Asia
Despite their ‘no limits’ friendship, Russia is paying a nearly 90% markup on sanctioned goods from China—compared with 9% from other countries
By Jason MaNovember 29, 2025
8 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
3 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.