NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar. 31, 2022– G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (NasdaqGS: GIII) today announced the election of Ms. Lisa Warner Wardell, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Adtalem Global Education, and Ms. Patti H. Ongman, recently retired Chief Merchandising Officer at Macy’s Inc. and an external advisor to a leading international consulting company.
Morris Goldfarb, G-III’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to welcome Lisa and Patti to our Board of Directors and are looking forward to working with them. Lisa’s business acumen and significant technology focus combined with Patti’s extensive omni-channel retail operations experience will provide valuable perspectives to G-III. As we continue to execute our strategy to unlock the value of our brands, their insights into omni-channel and data-driven retail will support our management team’s plans.”
Lisa Wardell currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Adtalem Global Education, a leading workforce solutions provider and healthcare education company, after her successful five-year run as the company’s president and CEO and then CEO and Chairman. Lisa is also a member of the board of American Express Company, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Executive Leadership Council, CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion and the Fortune CEO Initiative and a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion and access to education across diverse communities.
On joining the G-III Board, Ms. Wardell said, “It is an honor to join the dedicated management team and Board of G-III. The Company has a proven track record of success in delivering results and enhancing shareholder value. I look forward to partnering with this elite team of executives and board members to advance both G-III’s operational expertise, as well as its commitment to driving positive social impact for all stakeholders and the communities G-III serves.”
Patti Ongman currently serves as an external advisor to a leading international consulting company, where she provides guidance to their clients on digital and retail projects. Patti is also a member of the New Yorkers for Children Board of Directors where she serves on the Audit Committee. Previously, Patti served as the Chief Merchandising Officer of Macy’s, as well as the Chief Planning Officer, where she led the company’s merchandising function and omni-channel strategy implementation. Patti was the founding executive sponsor of WAM, an employee resource group for Women at Macy’s.
Ms. Ongman commented, “I’m honored to be joining G-III’s Board at this exciting time for the Company and the industry. Having worked as a retail partner of the Company while at Macy’s, I know firsthand that G-III is a partner of choice for a broad and diverse group of retailers and e-tailers. The Company’s diversified product categories, distribution expertise and well-developed manufacturing capabilities are impressive. I look forward to supporting the team as they further build upon their success and partnering with the executive team and Board on Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in striving towards change for global good.”
G-III also announced that Willem van Bokhorst and Jeanette Nostra-Katz, two long-standing members of G-III’s Board of Directors, have notified the Company that they will not stand for re-election at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in June.
Morris Goldfarb, G-III’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “While they will remain on our Board through June, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Willem and Jeanette for their years of dedicated service to our Board of Directors. We are grateful for their valuable guidance and contributions to G-III’s success. Jeanette will continue in her role as a Senior Advisor to the Company and we wish Willem all the best in the future.”
After all these changes are effective, G-III will have a twelve-member board that includes four women and three individuals of diverse backgrounds, one of whom is a woman. In addition, independent directors will constitute 75% of the Board, up from 67% prior to these changes.
