ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2018--
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) announced today that Craig
Leavitt has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of the Company’s
board of directors. Mr. Leavitt, 57, will serve as a member of the Audit
Committee and the Compensation and Development Committee.
Mr. Leavitt served as Chief Executive Officer of Kate Spade & Company, a
publicly traded operator of global, multichannel lifestyle brands, from
February 2014 until August 2017 when the company was acquired by Coach,
Inc. From October 2010 until February 2014, he was Chief Executive
Officer of Kate Spade New York, a division of Fifth & Pacific Companies,
Inc. He served as Co-President and Chief Operating Officer of Kate
Spade, LLC from April 2008 through October 2010. Prior to joining Kate
Spade, LLC, Mr. Leavitt was President of Global Retail at Link Theory
Holdings, where he had total responsibility for merchandising,
operations, planning, allocation and real estate for the Theory and
Helmut Lang retail businesses. Previously, Mr. Leavitt spent several
years at Diesel, most recently as Executive Vice President of Sales and
Retail. Mr. Leavitt also spent 16 years at Polo Ralph Lauren, where he
held positions of increasing responsibility, the last being Executive
Vice President of Retail Concepts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from
Franklin & Marshall College and resides in New York.
“We are pleased to be taking actions to further enhance the strength of
our board of directors. Craig will be joining our board as non-executive
chairman after a lengthy selection process directed by our Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee with assistance from Russell Reynolds
Associates. He has extensive experience in the areas of strategic
planning, product development and innovation, marketing, store
operations, and real estate. With Craig’s background, including his
service as Chief Executive Officer of a publicly traded company, we
believe his insights and perspectives regarding strategic planning,
leadership, stockholder relations, business operations, brand
management, marketing, and business development will be tremendously
beneficial to our success as we continue to execute our stated strategy
that is focused on transforming our operating model to capitalize on
changing consumer shopping patterns while diversifying and growing
revenue streams that leverage the power of the Build-A-Bear brand,” said
Sharon Price John, president and chief executive officer, Build-A-Bear
Workshop. “Our directors continue to work with Russell Reynolds to
identify additional talent for our board as we continue of our multiyear
systematic process of evolving our board of directors to better align
skill sets with our stated strategy to evolve to sustained profitable
growth and drive long-term shareholder value.”
About Build-A-Bear
Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear is a global brand kids love
and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life.
Build-A-Bear Workshop has over 450 stores worldwide where guests can
create customizable furry friends, including company-owned stores in the
United States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom
and China, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, China,
Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. The company was named to the FORTUNE
100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the ninth year in a
row in 2017. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted a total
revenue of $364.2 million in fiscal 2016. For more information, visit
the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements that are, or may be
considered to be, “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of
federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements that
reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial
performance. We generally identify these statements by words or phrases
such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “predict,” “future,” “potential” or
“continue,” the negative or any derivative of these terms and other
comparable terminology. All of the information concerning our stated
strategies and the timing of the Company’s search for a new director, as
well as our assumptions underlying such information, constitute
forward-looking information. These statements are based only on our
current expectations and projections about future events. All of our
forward-looking statements are as of the date of this press release only
and we can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking
statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the
Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their
respective holders.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108005432/en/
Source: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Investors:
Voin Todorovic, 314-423-8000
x 5221
or
Media:
Beth Kerley
bethk@buildabear.com