Tapestry CEO Jide Zeitlin has resigned from the company 'for personal reasons' amid an investigation into his behavior. The company owns Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman.

• Tapestry CEO Jide Zeitlin is leaving the company "for personal reasons."
• Zeitlin was appointed CEO in September. He had been with the company for 14 years.
• According to a person familiar with the situation, Tapestry's board had hired a law firm to investigate allegations made about Zeitlin's personal behavior, after which Zeitlin resigned.

Jide Zeitlin, chairman and CEO of Tapestry, has resigned from the company after less than a year in the role.

Tapestry, owner of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman, announced Zeitlin's resignation in a press release on Tuesday, saying that Zeitlin made the decision "for personal reasons."

"It has been a privilege to lead Tapestry with its powerful brands and outstanding people," Zeitlin said in the press release. "I have incredible belief in the Company's growth potential as each brand sharpens its focus on meeting the broad and diverse needs of their consumers."

One of few Black leaders in the retail industry, Zeitlin had been CEO of Tapestry since September and chairman since 2014. He had been with the company for 14 years.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on Tuesday that Tapestry's board had hired a law firm to investigate Zeitlin's personal behavior. The investigation, confirmed to Business Insider by a person familiar with the situation, centered around allegations made by a woman who said that Zeitlin had posed as a photographer, using an alias, to enter a romantic relationship with her.

"In the past month, a woman I photographed and had a relationship with more than ten years ago reached out to various media organizations to express her concerns about what had occurred," Zeitlin said in a statement to the Journal. "I felt compelled to resign today because I do not want to create a distraction for Tapestry, a company I care deeply about."

In March, Tapestry announced that Zeitlin had reaffirmed his commitment to stay with the company over the next three years as it worked on a plan for growth. Joshua Schulman, Coach's brand president and CEO, departed at that time.

"Over the next several years, I will continue to work with our world-class teams to sharpen our focus on execution while driving our evolution to being a truly consumer-centric and data-driven organization, which will ensure we deliver on the full potential of our entire portfolio and enhance returns for all stakeholders," Zeitlin said at the time.

CFO Joanne Crevoiserat has been appointed interim CEO while Tapestry begins its search for a permanent replacement.

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