Ralph Lauren, the man, arguably one of the world's greatest fashion designers, may not be one of the world's great fashion CEOs, however. He is to be lauded for introducing and commercializing a highly successful vision, lifestyle and taste level for consumers worldwide. He deserves great credit for creating and retaining the classic authenticity of his brand throughout the entire lifetime of his company. This, in contrast to the Tommy Hilfigers of the industry who chased short lived trends that eventually ruined their business. He does deserve credit for reaching out to acquire new leadership for his company, albeit likely under tremendous pressure from his board. The company is the very embodiment of CEO Ralph Lauren, the man. But as CEO, he was remiss in dealing with his company's travails until relatively recently.