PEMBROKE PINES, Fla., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Claire's Stores, Inc., a
leading specialty retailer offering value-priced jewelry and accessories,
today announced the appointment of J. Per Brodin, as its Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer.
Per will serve in this position as an important addition to our Senior
Management Team. He will lead the transformation of our finance group to
assume a broader role of operating partner and trusted advisor globally, in
addition to the important financial reporting and compliance functions. He
will also have responsibility for Loss Prevention and North American
Planning and Allocation. He will report to the CEO.
Gene Kahn, CEO, commented, "I am excited and would like to welcome Per
to the Claire's team. He is a highly capable individual with an extensive
background and a wealth of experience within and outside of retail.
Building on this foundation he will be able to drive financial results
while simultaneously directing and managing our financial team across our
global business. His thirteen years of experience at Arthur Andersen, the
final two in their Professional Standards Group, before joining May
Department Stores, where I first met him, underscores the high level of
financial accounting and management skills he brings to his new position,
and which will benefit Claire's as we move forward."
Per joins Claire's with a considerable background. He previously served
as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer/Chief Financial Officer
at Centene Corporation, a $3 billion health care provider, where he was
responsible for managing financial objectives for a company with a 50% top
line growth in two of the three years he was with the company.
At May, he served as Vice President, Accounting and Reporting, a
position that included, among other responsibilities, directing all
external reporting for the corporation, serving as corporate controller
while overseeing the accounting group and participating in acquisition
diligence and merger integration.
"Claire's is a recognized leader in the retail industry. I am excited
to join this team and partner in leading a Company with such a bright
future," said Per Brodin. "I am particularly pleased to be working in the
retail industry again, and be part of a management team that is committed
to build on the strong base the Company currently has and position it for
future growth and superior performance."
Per succeeds Ira Kaplan, who served Claire's for 20 plus years and was
instrumental in helping the Company grow to its current presence. "Ira has
been a stalwart member of the Claire's team, having played a major role in
the Company's impressive growth, and also actively participated in the
Company's recent sale to Apollo Management. I want to acknowledge Ira's
contribution to Claire's success, and for the assistance he provided me
over the past eight months while our Company has been privately held. I am
pleased that Ira will also assist during this transition. He has our very
best wishes for continued success and happiness," said Gene Kahn.
Company Overview
Claire's Stores, Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of value-priced
jewelry and accessories for girls and young women through its two store
concepts: Claire's and Icing. While the latter operates only in North
America, Claire's operates internationally. As of February 2, 2008,
Claire's Stores, Inc. operated 3,040 stores in the United States, Canada,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France,
Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the
Netherlands. Claire's Stores, Inc. operates through its subsidiary,
Claire's Nippon, Co., Ltd., 198 stores in Japan as a 50:50 joint venture
with AEON, Co., Ltd. The Company also franchises 166 stores in the Middle
East, Turkey, Russia, Poland, and South Africa.
Additional Information:
Note: Other Claire's Stores, Inc. press releases, a corporate profile
and the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q Equivalent are
available on Claire's business website at: http://www.clairestores.com.
Contact Information:
Marisa F. Jacobs, Vice President of Corporate Communications and
Investor Relations
Phone: (212) 594-3127, Fax: (212) 244-4237 or
Email at marisa.jacobs@claires.com
SOURCE Claire's Stores, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.clairestores.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/174913.html /
CONTACT:
Marisa F. Jacobs, Vice President of Corporate
Communications and Investor Relations of Claire's Stores, Inc.,
+1-212-594-3127, or Fax, +1-212-244-4237,
marisa.jacobs@claires.com
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