The Warnaco Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRNC – News) today announced that Robert A. Bowman has been elected to its Board of Directors. Mr. Bowman will fill a directorship vacated by Antonio C. Alvarez II, who resigned from Warnaco's Board on January 5, 2004.
Mr. Bowman, 48, currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.com), the internet and interactive media unit of Major League Baseball. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Cyberian Outpost, Inc. Prior to joining Cyberian Outpost, Mr. Bowman held several senior management positions at ITT Corporation, including President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Earlier in his career, he served for eight years as Treasurer of the State of Michigan.
Mr. Bowman holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University.
Mr. Alvarez's resignation follows the engagement of Alvarez and Marsal, Inc. to advise Levi Strauss & Company on its turnaround. Mr. Alvarez is a co-founding Managing Director of Alvarez & Marsal, Inc. and serves as the lead advisor on the Levi's project. Mr. Alvarez served on Warnaco's Board since March 2002; he also served as Warnaco's Chief Executive Officer from November 2001 until April 2003.
Joe Gromek, Warnaco's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, ''Tony has made invaluable contributions to Warnaco, and we are truly thankful to him for his superb work and commitment. While we are sad to see Tony leave, we are excited to begin working with Bob and trust that his wide-ranging financial skills and retail experience will be of significant benefit to Warnaco.''
