HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Signet Jewelers
Limited ("Signet") (NYSE:SIG), the world's largest retailer of
diamond jewelry, today announced the appointments of André Branch
and Dontá Wilson to its board of
directors, effective immediately. Their appointments will expand
Signet's board to 12 from 10 members, 11 of whom are independent,
and will further position the company's goal to reinvent how people
browse, shop and purchase jewelry for all occasions.
"We're thrilled to welcome André and Dontá to the Signet Board
of Directors," said H. Todd Stitzer,
Board Chairman. "These dynamic, transformative leaders with
incredible backgrounds and track records join Signet at an exciting
time, and embody what we seek from our directors – agile mindsets,
proven leadership and innovative thinking. I'm confident they will
help fuel our work accelerating Signet's digital-first, omnichannel
transformation under CEO Gina
Drosos' leadership."
About André Branch
Branch is passionate about building and reinventing brands, as
well as expanding customer experiences through services. Last year,
he became the Senior Vice President and General Manager of MAC
Cosmetics North America - Estee
Lauder. Branch previously served as Senior Vice President of
e-Commerce and Digital Operations at L'Oréal USA. He is a well-rounded operator and, in
previous roles there, led some of the company's most iconic brands
such as Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Diesel, Stella McCartney, and Ralph Lauren – where he oversaw one of the most
successful men's fragrance launches in the country.
An entrepreneurial business leader and modern marketer, Branch
has substantial experience managing P&Ls, generating top-line
and bottom-line growth, and leading cross-functional teams. He
received an MBA from the University of
Michigan and a bachelor's degree in economics from the
University of Maryland. Prior to
receiving his MBA, Branch worked as a CPA in audit for Deloitte
& Touché. He is a native of Baltimore and often volunteers his time
inspiring and motivating kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"I'm delighted to join the Signet board, especially at this
critical moment when the company has demonstrated remarkable
agility as part of its Path to Brilliance transformation," Branch
said. "I'm also energized by Signet's purpose of inspiring love for
its customers, employees and communities."
About Dontá Wilson
Wilson currently serves as the Chief
Digital and Client Experience Officer of Truist Financial
Corporation, the nation's 6th largest and highly innovative
purpose-driven bank. He leads Truist's digital innovation and
transformation, overseeing digital banking and commerce, delivering
the company's largest-ever new branding launch, and responsible for
omni-channel client experience strategy, client analytics and
client journey execution. Wilson has a
passion for accelerating employee experience and serves as an
executive sponsor of Truist's diversity, equity and inclusion
initiative and co-chair of its culture council. He is a strategic,
tech-savvy and operationally grounded leader who brings a proven
track record of positively impacting growth, digital
transformation, brand equity and culture across organizations,
along with an intense focus on delivering a distinctive client
experience.
A five-time winner of Savoy Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential
Blacks in Corporate America, Wilson
received an MBA from the University of
Maryland and a bachelor's in business administration from
the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte. He also has deep experience serving on
not-for-profit boards, primarily focused on ensuring that
disadvantaged youth have opportunity for education and focused on
eliminating the digital divide.
"I am excited to join Signet's board of directors, particularly
in this moment as it accelerates the company's transformation with
breakthroughs in customers' digital experience and innovation in
every part of the business and organization," Wilson said. "I'm energized to help Signet leverage
its purpose as a key business growth driver delivering positive
impact across the industry and world."
For more information regarding the Signet Board of Directors,
please see
http://www.signetjewelers.com/investors/corporate-governance/default.aspx.
Signet's Commitment to Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion
Signet Jewelers Limited is the world's largest retailer of
diamond jewelry with a Purpose of Inspiring Love. The company
operates approximately 2,900 stores primarily under the name brands
of Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples, Piercing Pagoda, and
JamesAllen.com as well as digital marketplaces under the URLs
www.kay.com, www.zales.com, www.jared.com, www.hsamuel.co.uk,
www.ernestjones.co.uk, www.peoplesjewellers.com, www.pagoda.com,
and www.jamesallen.com.
For its third consecutive year, Signet Jewelers in January 2021 was recognized by Bloomberg Gender
Equality Index for its commitment to Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion, and was recently named a Certified Great Place to Work.™
A key part of Signet's transformation plan is advancing the
company's commitment to diversity both within the company and
within the communities in which it operates. Further information on
Signet is available at www.signetjewelers.com.
With the appointment of Branch and Wilson, 59% percent of Signet's Board is now
comprised of women or persons of color. Additionally, within its
employee base, 82% of Signet's team members represent gender or
ethnic diversity, including 58% within the executive team since
August 2020.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains statements which are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements, based upon management's
beliefs and expectations as well as on assumptions made by and data
currently available to management, appear in a number of places
throughout this document and include statements regarding, among
other things, Signet's prospects, growth and strategies. The use of
the words "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimates,"
"predicts," "believes," "should," "potential," "may,"
"preliminary," "forecast," "objective," "plan," or "target," and
other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance and are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties which could cause the actual results to not be
realized. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties
which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward looking statement, see the "Risk Factors"
and "Forward-Looking Statements" sections of Signet's Fiscal 2020
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 26, 2020 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q
and the "Safe Harbor Statements" in current reports on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC. Signet undertakes no obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events
or circumstances, except as required by law.
Media
Colleen Rooney
Chief Communications Officer
colleen.rooney@signetjewelers.com
Barbara DeLollis
VP, Media Relations
barbara.delollis@signetjewelers.com
+1-301-814-3357
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SOURCE Signet Jewelers Ltd.