By: Unknown
From: Business Wire
The J. Jill Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: JILL) today announced that James G. Held has been appointed to the J. Jill Board of Directors.
Mr. Held, 54, has served in numerous executive management positions during his career. From 1995 to 1997 Mr. Held served as President and Chief Executive Officer of HSN (Home Shopping Network). From 1997 to 1999 he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HSN and Vice Chairman of the parent company, USAI. Prior to that, Mr. Held served as President and CEO of Adrienne Vittadini, Inc., an upscale manufacturer and retailer of women's apparel and accessories. Mr. Held began his career in retail as a managing director at Lord & Taylor before joining Bloomingdale's in 1983. While at Bloomingdale's, Mr. Held served in a variety of senior level positions, including Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager for home, cosmetics and fragrances, accessories and several apparel divisions. He was also Vice President, General Manager of the company's flagship store on 59th street in New York City. Mr. Held received his JD from Union University Albany Law School.
Gordon R. Cooke, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very excited to welcome Jim to our Board of Directors. We believe his wealth of experience with several leading retailers and his in-depth industry knowledge will be extremely beneficial to us as we continue to focus on expanding our national specialty retail presence. We look forward to working with Jim and leveraging his expertise and leadership."
The J. Jill Group is a multi-channel specialty retailer of women's apparel, including accessories and footwear. The Company currently markets its products through retail stores, catalogs and its website jjill.com. J. Jill is designed to appeal to active, affluent women age 35 and older.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Various factors could cause the results of The J. Jill Group to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: significant changes in customer acceptance of J. Jill's product offerings; the success or failure of J. Jill's retail store initiative; the ability of J. Jill to effectively manage its operations and growth in a multi-channel environment; the success of J. Jill's product development and merchandising initiatives; changes in consumer spending, fashion trends and consumer preferences; the customary risks of purchasing merchandise abroad, including longer lead times, higher initial purchase commitments and foreign currency fluctuations; timeliness of receipts of inventory from vendors; changes in competition in the apparel industry; changes in, or the failure to comply with, federal and state tax and other government regulations; the ability of J. Jill to attract and retain qualified personnel; possible future increases in expenses and labor and employee benefit costs; business abilities and judgment of management; the existence or absence of brand awareness; the existence or absence of publicity, advertising and promotional efforts; the success or failure of operating initiatives; the mix of J. Jill's sales between full price and liquidation merchandise; general political, economic and business conditions and other factors, including those detailed from time to time in J. Jill's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2003. J. Jill disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.