Gene Pressman was co-CEO, creative director, and head of merchandising and marketing for Barneys New York, and a veteran of the store for more than twenty-five years. Under his leadership, Barneys New York emerged as the defining force in retailing for upscale men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, and home furnishings. He is the author, with Noah Kerner, of Chasing Cool, a distillation of his marketing philosophy. A graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, he lives with his family in Palm Beach.