Christina Francis. Ms. Francis, age 54, has served as a director since 2021 and is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. Ms. Francis brings more than 20 years of corporate and agency marketing experience across traditional and social media platforms. Since 2019, Ms. Francis has served as the President of Magic Johnson Enterprises where she is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, including strategy, business development and oversight of ownership properties and partnerships. Ms. Francis joined Magic Johnson Enterprises in 2014 as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Marketing and Events for NFL Players Inc. Ms. Francis has also served on the board of her alma mater Xavier University of Louisiana.
Ms. Francis’ extensive marketing, communications and management experience described above, makes her well qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Laurens M. Goff. Mr. Goff, age 50, has served as a director since 2013 and is Chairperson of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Goff is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Stone-Goff Partners, a private equity firm founded in 2010 that is focused on investing in private companies in the lower middle market. Mr. Goff began his career in the investment banking division of Furman Selz LLC. He subsequently joined Hampshire Equity Partners, a middle market buyout firm, where he spent over eight years sourcing, executing and managing private equity investments, including Citi Trends prior to its initial public offering in 2005.
Mr. Goff’s extensive business and financial experience described above, as well as his knowledge of Citi Trends attained from serving as a director and through his role at Hampshire where Citi Trends was a portfolio holding prior to the Company’s initial public offering, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Margaret L. Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins, age 71, has served as a director since 2017 and is Chairperson of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Jenkins is a retired executive with extensive background in advertising and marketing, having served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Denny’s restaurants, and was the Chief Marketing Officer of El Pollo Loco restaurants. Ms. Jenkins also held several management positions with Taco Bell Corp. and PepsiCo International Foodservice. Her career in advertising included account management work on brands such as McDonald’s, Sunny Delight Beverages and the Atlantic Richfield Company. Ms. Jenkins was an independent director of PVH Corp., an international apparel manufacturer and retailer, from June 2006 through May 2014. She joined the board of directors of Kohl’s Corp., an omnichannel retailer, in May 2021 and is a member of its audit committee. Ms. Jenkins is the chair of the board of directors of Prisma Health-Upstate, one of the largest health care providers in the Southeast.
Ms. Jenkins’ extensive marketing, advertising and management experience described above, as well as her performance as a director on boards of both public and not-for-profit companies, qualifies her to serve on our board of directors.
David N. Makuen. Mr. Makuen, age 55, has served as a director since 2020. Since March 2020, Mr. Makuen has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Previously, Mr. Makuen spent over eight years in various positions at Five Below, Inc., a publicly-traded specialty value retailer (“Five Below”), including as Executive Vice President, Marketing and E-commerce since September 2019, as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Strategy from November 2017 to August 2019, and as Senior Vice President, Marketing from 2011 to 2017. Prior to his work with Five Below, Mr. Makuen was the owner and President of Fresh Life Foods, LLC, a food service business, from 2009 to 2011. Previously, Mr. Makuen served as Vice President, Marketing for Eddie Bauer, LLC, a clothing retailer, from 2005 to 2009.
Mr. Makuen’s years of experience in the retail industry and his role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Cara Sabin. Ms. Sabin, age 53, has served as a director since 2021 and is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Sabin has more than 20 years of general management, business strategy, marketing, digital and innovation experience. She currently serves as the CEO of Sundial Brands, a Unilever company, recognized for its innovative use of high quality and culturally authentic ingredients in brands such as SheaMoisture, Nubian Heritage, Nyakio and Madam CJ Walker Beauty Culture. Prior to Sundial Brands, she held various marketing management positions at Clinique and NARS Cosmetics. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sabin held positions at Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal and Capital One Financial. Ms. Sabin serves on the Board of Visitors for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; Board of Trustees for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater; and the Executive Committee and Board of the Ad Council. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Ms. Sabin’s substantial general management, business strategy, marketing, digital and innovation experience make her well qualified to serve on our board of directors.