Robert Sakowitz

More Than a Store: Three Decades of Tumultuous Changes 1960-1990

Mr. Robert T. Sakowitz is President and CEO of Hazak Corporation, Houston, Texas, a Corporate Consulting company for Business Strategies, Marketing, and Development with multi-industry and multi-national companies for over thirty-five years.

Formerly he has served on the Boards of Directors of: The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas (Houston Branch Chairman), Continental Air Lines; Morse Shoe Company; Galleria Bank (Founding Director) and Texas American BankShares; National Retail Merchants Association/ National Retail Federation; The American Council for the Arts; The Houston Symphony;  Societe Viticole Europeene; TungTex Apparel Manufacturing of HongKong ; DiCentral Corporation; FreshBrew Group (Founding Director); Digital Documents Advisors; the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (Chairman), the Houston International Festival (Co-Founder).  He also served as Chairman of both the Houston and Harris County Sesquicentennial Committees, the Houston Municipal Arts Committee; Co-Chairman of the 1980 White House Conference on Small Business, Southwest Region, and Co-Chairman, Texas Conference on Small Business.                                                                                                                                                                     Mr. Sakowitz continues to serve on the Board of Advisors, Texas A&M Galveston, TX.; the Blue Bird Circle Foundation, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Maritime Committee, and as Co-Chairman of the Board of Advisors of IM- Houston Interfaith Ministries.                                            He is a member of numerous civic, arts, business, and charitable organizations.

Prior to forming Hazak consulting company, Mr. Sakowitz was President and Chief Executive Officer of Sakowitz, Inc, helping to transform it into an internationally recognized fashion specialty retailer. He was a forerunner in initiating in-store marketing concepts of European ready-to-wear apparel boutiques in the United States, launching the first Andre Courreges boutique, following with Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche, Givenchy, Valentino, and Ermenegildo Zegna, and numerous distribution relationships and joint ventures with other European and Asian designers first in America. The extraordinary “Ultimate Gifts” of the annual Sakowitz Christmas Catalogues, delivered throughout every state in America and frequently abroad, were covered by press and television media world-wide. He is frequently called upon for media interviews and speaking engagements regarding marketing, supply chain and retail distribution, business strategies and forecasts

He also innovated the first wine department within department stores, and Fine and Rare Wine Auctions with Christie’s of London, which continued to develop the wine market in the U.S. for over twenty years (1967-88).

Mr. Sakowitz has been the recipient of numerous local, national and international awards; among them are the Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Merit, the Republic of France; the Cavaliere del Ordine al Merito by the Republic of Italy, and the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mr. Sakowitz is a graduate of St. John’s School in Houston, and Harvard University, AB History and Government, Cum Laude; and has been blessed with four children and eight grand-children..