Perry Ellis International Inc. (PERY) Tuesday said it has
created a chief marketing officer position and hired a
public-relations official from Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) to
fill it.
Brett Dean, who was senior director of brand marketing and PR at
Abercrombie, also previously worked as creative director of Calvin
Klein cosmetics, leading design teams for the namesake brand as
well as Nautica and BGBG.
Last month, Perry Ellis posted its first quarter of revenue
growth in at least a year as it swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter
profit. The results confirmed previous hints that Perry Ellis has
entered a rebound from the drop in consumer spending that hurt many
retailers during the recession.
Abercrombie, on the other hand, has yet to shake the downturn's
grip. It continued to report declines in earnings, sales and
margins when it reported its quarterly results in February.
Dean said he has found the marketing infrastructure and teams at
Perry Ellis to be "seasoned, creative and up to date." As chief
marketing officer, Dean will oversee and implement all of Perry
Ellis's brand and marketing strategies, both online and off.
Chief Operating Officer Oscar Feldenkreis added the
marketing-chief position will bring cohesion to the company's
marketing as it operates "in a pivotal retail environment that is
guided by brand awareness and consumer endorsement."
Perry Ellis shares were up 1.3% at $24.89 in a mixed market,
while Abercrombie shares were down slightly. Perry's stock has
risen more than fivefold since a year earlier, when is was
recovering from a six-year low.
-By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291;
joan.solsman@dowjones.com