Leaders Known for Results, Innovation, Branding Appointed to Key Segment
Roles
ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2007 - /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Newell Rubbermaid
(NYSE: NWL) today announced key senior management changes designed to
further drive growth and innovation, while speeding the company's
transformation into a marketer of consumer-driven brands.
James J. Roberts has been appointed Executive Group President - Office
Products and Cleaning, Organization & Decor. Roberts has been responsible
for Newell Rubbermaid's Tools & Hardware and Cleaning, Organization & Decor
segments since 2003. He has led both of these businesses to significantly
improved sales and operating income by driving operational excellence,
supply chain restructuring, innovation and global branding. He will retain
responsibility for Cleaning, Organization & Decor, while assuming the
additional responsibility for Office Products.
William A. Burke III will succeed Roberts as Group President - Tools &
Hardware. He will also retain responsibility for the company's Lenox
Industrial Products and Services business in North America until a
successor is named at a later date. In the time since Burke took charge of
Lenox in 2003, the brand has averaged double-digit sales growth and became
a significant platform for international expansion through strong branding,
innovation, end-user conversion and channel penetration.
Steven G. Marton has been named President - Special Assignments, after
heading up the company's Office Products segment since 2004.
The management changes are in addition to the recently announced
appointment of Jay D. Gould as Group President - Home & Family. All four
executives will report directly to Newell Rubbermaid President and Chief
Executive Officer Mark Ketchum.
"These business segment leaders have proven their ability to grow
revenue and profit in challenging categories, while building brands,
partnering with customers and suppliers, and building organizational
capability," Ketchum said. "This is the right team to accomplish our
evolution to a company of Brands That Matter(TM) delivering consistent
shareholder returns."
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that are not historical in nature
constitute forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements
relate to information or assumptions about the effects of Project
Acceleration, sales, income/(loss), earnings per share, operating income or
gross margin improvements, capital and other expenditures, cash flow,
dividends, restructuring costs, costs and cost savings, debt ratings, and
management's plans, projections and objectives for future operations and
performance. These statements are accompanied by words such as "expect,"
"project," "will," "believes," "estimate" and similar expressions. Actual
results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the
forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, our dependence on the strength
of retail economies; competition with other manufacturers and distributors
of consumer products; major retailers' strong bargaining power; changes in
the prices of raw materials; our ability to develop innovative new products
and to develop, maintain and strengthen our end-user brands; our ability to
expeditiously close facilities and move operations while managing foreign
regulations and other impediments; our ability to implement successfully
information technology solutions throughout our organization; our ability
to improve productivity and streamline operations; the risks inherent in
our foreign operations and those factors listed in the company's most
recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and Exhibit 99.1 thereto, filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Changes in such assumptions or
factors could produce significantly different results. The information
contained in this news release is as of the date indicated. The company
assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in
this news release as a result of new information or future events or
developments.
About Newell Rubbermaid
Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of
consumer and commercial products that touch the lives of people where they
work, live and play. The company's strong portfolio of brands includes
Sharpie(R), Paper Mate(R), DYMO(R), EXPO(R), Waterman(R), Parker(R),
Rolodex(R), IRWIN(R), LENOX(R), BernzOmatic(R), Rubbermaid(R), Levolor(R),
Graco(R), Calphalon(R) and Goody(R). The company, with sales of
approximately $6 billion, is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and employs
approximately 22,500 employees worldwide. This press release and additional
information about Newell Rubbermaid are available on the company's Web site
http://www.newellrubbermaid.com.
NWL-EX
SOURCE Newell Rubbermaid Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.newellrubbermaid.com
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CONTACT:
Ron Hardnock, Vice President, Investor
Relations, or David Doolittle, Vice President, Corporate
Communications, both of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., +1-770-407-3994,
or +1-770-407-3983 (fax)
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