Mortimer Singer
President & Chief Executive, Marvin Traub Associates
Successor to the consulting firm’s legendary founder and retail guru, he grew the team by bringing on new industry experts.
Mortimer Singer is the chief executive officer of Marvin Traub Associates, a business development and strategic consultancy firm. Marvin Traub Associates primarily advises brands, retailers and developers in the upscale retail and consumer goods sector.
Singer advises on mergers and acquisitions and formulates retail and distribution strategies in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Russia, India and Europe, and is possessed of a thoroughly global perception of the retail and consumer branches of the fashion industry. Whilst at Marvin Traub Associates, Singer co-founded TSM Capital, an investment vehicle for the consultancy firm. Until 2016, when Singer stepped down from his position as president and partner at MTA, he oversaw all aspects of the business.
Singer has led the merchandising and leasing strategy for The Galleria at Sowwah Square, a state-of-the-art luxury retail development in Abu Dhabi, which includes a selection of the world’s leading luxury brands. Traub’s book of notable clients has included Harvey Nichols, Karl Lagerfeld as well as Selfridges & Co, to name a few. In 2018, the firm signed a deal with the blockchain powered shopping start-up Shopin, and Singer joined Shopin’s Board of Advisors.
Singer joined Marvin Traub Associates in 2002. Prior to joining the firm Singer launched the American division of Quintessentially, the UK founded and based concierge service, heading up the sales and business development teams in addition to marketing and positioning of the brand in the USA. Singer has also held positions at JP Morgan Chase, working in the technology, media and telecom investment banking division.
Singer is on the board of directors of Matthew Williamsonand eSupplySystems. Singer co-authored To India With Love: from New York To Mumbai in 2009 and is the co-founder and chairman of Pin Down Bladder Cancer, a charity that raises awareness and funds for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Bladder Cancer Research Fund. Singer is also the Vice Chairman and trustee of the French Institute Alliance Française in New York.
Singer graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to Amy Sykes Singer, who heads Youtube News for North and South America.
In 2015, Marvin Traub Associates entered into a joint New-York based venture with retail industry tycoons Bruce H. Ross and John D. Goodman to form the Traub Celebrity Group, an advisory and development firm for popular culture personalities. Ross and Goodman’s previous endeavours that included creating celebrity brands for Jordin Sparks and the Kardashian Kollektion at Sears respectively, have informed plans to provide business solutions for emerging celebrity brands, sector Singer growing exponentially in the near future.
VITAL STATISTICS
Find out more
How to Go From Wholesale to Direct-To-Consumer
For apparel labels reliant on multi-brand retailers for sales, developing a direct business has never been more important. But how can you go DTC in the middle of the pandemic? Here’s BoF’s guide to pivoting online during a time – and cash – crunch.
How to Go From Wholesale to Direct-To-Consumer
For apparel labels reliant on multi-brand retailers for sales, developing a direct business has never been more important. But how can you go DTC in the middle of the pandemic? Here’s BoF’s guide to pivoting online during a time – and cash – crunch.
Op-Ed | Why Mindful Millennials Are Modern Pagans
The ancient human need to explain the vastness of the universe through storytelling and mythology is what’s driving millennial consumer culture today in the US, argues Maggie Montagna and Mortimer Singer.
Op-Ed | Why Mindful Millennials Are Modern Pagans
The ancient human need to explain the vastness of the universe through storytelling and mythology is what’s driving millennial consumer culture today in the US, argues Maggie Montagna and Mortimer Singer.
Retailers Brace for New York Real Estate Apocalypse
In Manhattan’s prime retail districts, tourist traffic is down, rents are high, Trump is looming large and overstoring is about as bad as it is in Middle America. Something has got to give.
Retailers Brace for New York Real Estate Apocalypse
In Manhattan’s prime retail districts, tourist traffic is down, rents are high, Trump is looming large and overstoring is about as bad as it is in Middle America. Something has got to give.
Fashion Industry Reacts to 'Devastating' Trump Victory
Members of the fashion community, from Diane von Furstenberg to Hari Nef, share their immediate reactions to the US presidential election result, with many voicing defiance in the face of uncertainty.
Fashion Industry Reacts to 'Devastating' Trump Victory
Members of the fashion community, from Diane von Furstenberg to Hari Nef, share their immediate reactions to the US presidential election result, with many voicing defiance in the face of uncertainty.
Department Stores Battle for Manhattan
America’s luxury department stores are betting big on the buoyancy of the New York market. But is there space for everyone?
Department Stores Battle for Manhattan
America’s luxury department stores are betting big on the buoyancy of the New York market. But is there space for everyone?
New York Hosts Latest VOICES Conversation Ahead of BoF's Flagship Event in December
The BoF community gathered in New York to hear forward thinkers inside and outside fashion discuss the challenges — and opportunities — facing the industry.
New York Hosts Latest VOICES Conversation Ahead of BoF's Flagship Event in December
The BoF community gathered in New York to hear forward thinkers inside and outside fashion discuss the challenges — and opportunities — facing the industry.
Why Orlebar Brown Turned to Franchising
Orlebar Brown has used franchising to expand its global footprint, gaining a first-to-market advantage in important geographies without expending capital on directly operated retail locations.
Why Orlebar Brown Turned to Franchising
Orlebar Brown has used franchising to expand its global footprint, gaining a first-to-market advantage in important geographies without expending capital on directly operated retail locations.
Week in Review | YSL Chief Executive to Apple, Bec Astley Clarke, Made-for-Instagram Moments, Fashion Sweatshirts, Esteban Cortazar, UAE
BoF editor-in-chief Imran Amed recaps the week in the business of fashion.
Week in Review | YSL Chief Executive to Apple, Bec Astley Clarke, Made-for-Instagram Moments, Fashion Sweatshirts, Esteban Cortazar, UAE
BoF editor-in-chief Imran Amed recaps the week in the business of fashion.
Op-Ed | Why Luxury Brands Should Still Believe in the UAE
Five years after the global financial crisis hit Dubai, the United Arab Emirates is poised to become a super-regional powerhouse, with compelling opportunities for luxury retailers, argues Mortimer Singer of Marvin Traub Associates.
Op-Ed | Why Luxury Brands Should Still Believe in the UAE
Five years after the global financial crisis hit Dubai, the United Arab Emirates is poised to become a super-regional powerhouse, with compelling opportunities for luxury retailers, argues Mortimer Singer of Marvin Traub Associates.
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
