Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (NYSE: JNY – News) today announced that Isaac Dabah has been appointed as Group CEO of the Company's Polo Jeans Company, Gloria Vanderbilt and l.e.i. divisions, and will continue to report to Peter Boneparth, Chief Executive Officer of Jones Apparel Group, Inc. Jack Gross has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Gloria Vanderbilt and will continue to report to Isaac Dabah.
Peter Boneparth stated, #'Isaac is a seasoned business leader with strong brand-building, operational and sourcing skills. He joined Jones Apparel in the spring of 2002 as part of our acquisition of Gloria Vanderbilt and quickly established himself as a key manager within the executive ranks. We believe that this is a perfect time to unify these three jeanswear businesses under the same leadership, in order to derive the benefits of leveraging our procurement and sourcing capabilities, while maintaining the individual market integrity of each brand.''
Mr. Boneparth further stated, #'Jack Gross brings a depth of industry experience that will continue to benefit the Gloria Vanderbilt division. We look forward to the additional opportunities that his skill set will bring to the business.''
Mr. Boneparth went on to say, #'The formation of this jeanswear group structure will allow Isaac to coordinate the respective sales, design, production and operational components of Polo Jeans Company, Gloria Vanderbilt and l.e.i. Heather Pech, President of the Polo Jeans Company division and a Jones Apparel Group veteran, will report to Isaac and continue to oversee all aspects of that business. Susan Geliebter will continue to lead the outstanding design team at l.e.i. Spencer Rosenheck will continue in his present capacity as President of Sales for l.e.i. Isaac will also draw on Mel Geliebter's extensive manufacturing experience. Our goal is to continue to build strong business managers who will deliver quality product and operational excellence that have made Jones Apparel Group an industry leader.''
Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (www.jny.com), a Fortune 500 Company, is a leading designer and marketer of branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company's nationally recognized brands include Jones New York, Polo Jeans Company licensed from Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Evan-Picone, Norton McNaughton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Erika, l.e.i., Energie, Nine West, Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino, Napier, Judith Jack, Kasper, Anne Klein, Albert Nipon and LeSuit. The Company also markets costume jewelry under the Tommy Hilfiger brand licensed from Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and the Givenchy brand licensed from Givenchy Corporation, and footwear and accessories under the ESPRIT brand licensed from Esprit Europe, B.V. Celebrating more than 30 years of service, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.
Certain statements herein are #'forward-looking statements'' made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties, including the strength of the economy and the overall level of consumer spending, the performance of the Company's products within the prevailing retail environment, and other factors which are set forth in the Company's 2002 Form 10-K and in all filings with the SEC made by the Company subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-K. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.