(New York, NY; Business Wire;
Feb. 15, 2001) Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises
("SFA Enterprises" or "SFAE"), a business unit of Saks
Incorporated (NYSE:SKS), today announced organizational
and management changes. Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises is
comprised of Saks Fifth Avenue stores, Saks Off 5th, and
Saks Direct.
Christina Johnson, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises,
stated, "Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises is making
organizational and management changes to better integrate
its three channels of business, Saks Fifth Avenue stores,
Off 5th stores and Saks Direct, to further position SFAE
for continued growth. This realignment will more closely
connect the merchandise offerings and marketing efforts
of all three channels."
SFAE has made the following management
changes:
Sheri Wilson-Gray, Executive Vice
President, Marketing for Saks Fifth Avenue, has been
appointed Chief Marketing Officer for Saks Fifth Avenue
Enterprises, continuing to report to Christina Johnson.
Her responsibilities will continue to be the marketing
operations for Saks Fifth Avenue and Off 5th stores, and
she will add marketing responsibility for Saks Direct.
Donald Watros, Executive Vice
President, Finance and Planning for Saks Fifth Avenue,
has been appointed Chief Administrative Officer for Saks
Fifth Avenue Enterprises, continuing to report to
Christina Johnson. His responsibilities will include
finance, merchandise planning, store operations and loss
prevention for SFAE. In addition to these
responsibilities, Mr. Watros will serve as the principal
SFAE liaison with the Saks Support Group and concentrate
on the strategic development of information technology
for SFAE.
Gail Pisano, Executive Vice President,
Merchandising for Saks Fifth Avenue, will continue in
that position and will add responsibility for Saks Direct
merchandising. Her responsibilities will now include
designer RTW, "gold range", accessories & handbags,
shoes, intimate apparel and Saks Direct merchandising.
She will continue to report to Christina Johnson.
Marilyn Carracino, Senior Vice
President, General Merchandise Manager for Folio, has
been appointed to Senior Vice President, General
Merchandise Manager for Saks Direct, reporting to Gail
Pisano. Her responsibilities now include merchandising of
the saks.com and catalog businesses.
Carolyn Biggs, Executive Vice
President, Stores for Saks Fifth Avenue, will continue in
this position, and the Saks Fifth Avenue New York
flagship store will now report to her. She will continue
to report to Christina Johnson.
Denise Incandela, Chief Operating
Officer of Saks Direct, will continue in this position,
and will now report directly to Christina Johnson. Her
responsibilities include product development, marketing,
technology, operations and content for Saks Direct.
Lynne Ronon, Senior Vice President of
saks.com, will continue to report to Denise Incandela and
will be responsible for directing the site design of
saks.com.
Johnson commented, "I want to
congratulate each of these individuals on their new
responsibilities. We have appropriately restructured Saks
Fifth Avenue Enterprises with our very talented
management team to streamline our organization and to
further position it for continued growth in 2001 and
beyond."
Saks Incorporated operates Saks Fifth
Avenue Enterprises, which consists of 62 Saks Fifth
Avenue stores, 48 Off 5th stores, and Saks Direct, which
includes the Folio and Bullock & Jones catalogs and
the operations of saks.com. The Company also operates 252
traditional department stores under the names of
Proffitt's, McRae's, Younkers, Parisian, Herberger's,
Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's, and Boston Store.