Howard Smith, a longtime executive at Ralph Lauren, will resign following an investigation that uncovered ethical violations.

• Ralph Lauren announced that Howard Smith, its executive vice president and chief commercial officer, will resign following the discovery of personal conduct allegations.
• An investigation found that Ralph Lauren's business conduct and ethics code was violated, as well as other policies, it stated.
• Smith's LinkedIn profile indicates that he has been with the company for nearly 20 years and has held various positions, including VP of logistics and SVP of Ralph Lauren's global supply chain.

Howard Smith, the executive vice president and chief commercial officer of the retailer, will resign immediately after the retailer learned of allegations regarding his personal conduct, as announced on Wednesday.

An independent investigation was launched by the audit committee of the board of directors, with the assistance of outside counsel, after allegations were brought to light, according to Ralph Lauren's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The investigation found that Ralph Lauren's code of business conduct and ethics and other policies were violated by the conduct in question.

Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Smith's LinkedIn profile indicates that he has been with the company for nearly 20 years and has held various positions, including VP of logistics and SVP of Ralph Lauren's global supply chain.

On Wednesday morning, his profile page on Ralph Lauren's corporate website was already empty.

In the SEC filing, Ralph Lauren stated that the resignation was not linked to the company's financial reporting or business performance.

Patrice Louvet, CEO and President of Ralph Lauren, will receive interim reports from regional leaders who manage the day-to-day business operations.

Another high-profile executive has left a retailer this week due to misconduct. The cosmetics company announced Monday that it had terminated executive John Demsey following his admission of a racist meme on his personal social media account.

Ralph Lauren has been experiencing a turnaround under Louvet, with the retailer reporting fiscal third-quarter revenue that surpassed analysts' expectations in February, largely due to the CEO's efforts to increase sales of merchandise at full price points.

Wealthier consumers' willingness to spend on luxury handbags, apparel, and accessories has largely benefited luxury retailers during the pandemic.