In addition to the information presented below regarding each Director's specific experience, the Board also believes that all of our Directors have a reputation for integrity and honesty and adhere to high ethical standards. Each Director has also demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment and each has significant experience on other boards and board committees and/or as senior executives with large public companies. In particular, we value board members with experience in operations, finance, accounting, marketing, merchandising and sales and those with considerable educational backgrounds.

To view Section 16 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, please click here.

Biographies of Directors

Michael Goldstein
Non-Executive Chairman
Director Since 2008

Mr. Goldstein, 69, was employed by Ernst & Young LLP (and its predecessor firms) from 1963 to 1979, including six years as an audit partner. Mr. Goldstein served as Chairman of the Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys “R” Us, Inc., from 2001 until 2006 and was Chairman of Toys “R” Us, Inc. from 1998 to 2001, Chief Executive Officer from August 1999 until January 2000, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1994 to 1998 and Chief Financial Officer from 1983 until 1994. Mr. Goldstein currently serves on the boards of directors of the following public companies: (1) 4 Kids Entertainment, Inc., since 2003, currently interim Chairman of the Board, chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Nominating and Governance Committee; (2) Medco Health Solutions, Inc., since 2003, currently Lead Director, chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and member of the Audit Committee and the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee; and (3) Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc., since 2004, currently chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Goldstein is also a director of various private companies and not-for-profit charitable organizations. He has also served on the boards of the following other public companies within the last five years: Bear Stearns & Co. from 2007 until 2008; Finlay Enterprises, Inc. from 1999 until 2006; United Retail Group from 1999 until 2007; and Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc. from 2004 until 2010. Mr. Goldstein has served as a Director of the Company since 2008, and as Chairman of the Board since June 24, 2010. He is currently a member of the Compensation Committee.

Arnaud Ajdler
Director Since 2008

Mr. Ajdler, 35, is a Senior Managing Director of Crescendo Partners, a value-oriented investment firm based in New York. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University Business School where he teaches a course in value investing. Mr. Ajdler currently serves on the boards of directors of the following public companies: (1) Destination Maternity Corporation, since March 2008, currently serves as Chairman of the Board and is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; and (2) O’Charley’s Inc., since March 2008, currently a member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. He has also served on the boards of directors of the following other public companies within the last five years: (1) The Topps Company, from August 2006 until the sale of the Company in October 2007, member of the Audit Committee; (2) Hill International, Inc., from June 2006 until June 2009, member of the Governance and Nominating Committee; and (3) Rhapsody Acquisition Corp., from its inception in June 2006 until July 2008. From June 2004 until June 2006, Mr. Ajdler also served as Chief Financial Officer, a Director and the Secretary of Arpeggio Acquisition Corporation. Arpeggio completed its business combination with Hill International Inc. in June 2006. Mr. Ajdler received a B.S. in engineering from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, an S.M. in Aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Mr. Ajdler chairs our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and serves on our Audit Committee.

Michael C. Appel
Director Since 2008

Mr. Appel, 61, has been a Director at AlixPartners LLP (“AlixPartners”), a global consulting agency that provides turnaround and crisis management, as well as enterprise improvement consulting services to boards of directors, management, creditors and shareholders, since 2010. From 2001 until 2010, Mr. Appel was a Managing Director at Quest Turnaround Advisors where he headed the Retail and Consumer Goods Practice. Representative clients included Skip’s Clothing and Kasper A.S.L., Ltd. (“Kasper”), a leading manufacturer of women’s apparel under the Kasper and Anne Klein brands. From 2002 until 2004, he served as financial advisor to the creditors committee in the Kasper Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, for which he was recognized with the Turnaround Management Association’s Turnaround of the Year Award for 2004. From 2002 until 2003, he served as Chief Restructuring Officer and later as Interim Chief Executive Officer at HCI Direct, Inc. a leading U.S. direct marketer of women’s hosiery. Mr. Appel has served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer for specialty retailers such as Caswell-Massey Inc. in 1992, Ciro, Inc. in 1994, Laura Ashley N.A. in 1998, Levene’s and Palmer’s (a home furnishings retailer in New Zealand) in 1997 and Wilkes Bashford from March 2009 until the company was sold on November 30, 2009 in a Section 363 sale in connection with the company’s Chapter 11 proceeding. Mr. Appel began his career at retailer Bloomingdales in 1973, where he served in a variety of different merchandising positions and rose to serve as Divisional Merchandise Manager of Childrenswear until his departure in 1982. From 1983 until 1986, he was Vice President of Merchandising at retailer Fortunoff, and from 1986 until 1990, he was Executive Vice President and President of Hoffritz for Cutlery, an 80-store national specialty chain. He graduated from Brandeis University, Phi Beta Kappa, and received an MBA with Distinction from the Harvard Business School. Mr. Appel is a member of the board of directors of the LIM Fashion Education Foundation, and currently chairs our Compensation Committee and serves on our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Richard W. Bennet, III
Director Since 2008

Mr. Bennet, 58, was the Vice Chairman of The May Department Stores Company from 2000 until 2002. Before his appointment as Vice Chairman, Mr. Bennet served in various executive management positions at other retailers including President and Chief Executive Officer of Kaufmanns and Famous Barr from 1997 until 1999 and from 1995 until 1996, respectively. Before holding these executive leadership positions, Mr. Bennet held a number of senior merchandising positions, such as General Merchandise Manager, at retailers such as Filene’s, from 1993 until 1994, Famous Barr, from 1987 until 1992, and May D & F in 1986. Mr. Bennet also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Direct Holdings Worldwide, an international direct marketing business with a variety of holdings including Time Life Entertainment, from 2005 until 2007. Currently Mr. Bennet is Co-Chief Executive Officer of CCA Global Partners, a cooperative of independent retail stores providing buying services and infrastructure to 2,500 locations, where he has worked since 2008. Mr. Bennet has also served on the board of directors of the public company drugstore.com, inc., a leading online drug store and information site for health, beauty, personal care and pharmacy products, since 2007. Mr. Bennet has an MBA from Washington University, St. Louis. Mr. Bennet currently serves on our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee.

Michael J. Blitzer
Director Since 2010

Mr. Blitzer, 61, has served as a principal of Portsmouth Partners, LLC, an advisory firm that provides operational and strategic services to private equity groups that focus on retail, wholesale, and consumer industries, since 2005. From November 2002 to September 2005, Mr. Blitzer served as the Lead Independent Director and Vice Chairman of the board of directors of LeSportsac Inc. Previously, Mr. Blitzer served as the Vice Chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel companies, from September 1997 until he retired in November 2002. Mr. Blitzer spent over 30 years at Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and at Macy’s in various executive merchandising positions in Women’s and Menswear, Accessories, and Footwear. He has also worked with a variety of companies in both apparel and accessories, including Neiman Marcus Group and Liz Claiborne Inc. In addition to LeSportsac Inc., Mr. Blitzer has served on the boards of directors of Kate Spade, LLC, Modell’s Sporting Goods, and Charlotte Russe Holdings, Inc. Mr. Blitzer is currently an advisory partner to Goode Partners LLC, a private equity firm specializing in consumer industries, a position he has held since March 2006, and has been a member of the board of directors of the public company Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. since June 2009 and Intermix, LLC since March 2009.

Katherine M. Hudson
Director Since 2000

Ms. Hudson, 64, is the retired Chairman of the board of directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brady Corporation (“Brady”), a global manufacturer of identification solutions and specialty industrial products. Ms. Hudson became President and CEO of Brady in 1994 after spending twenty-four years with Eastman Kodak Company, an imaging technology products provider. Her career at Eastman Kodak Company included positions in systems analysis, supply chain, finance, corporate communications, investor relations, information technology and litigation operations. Her general management experience span both commercial and consumer product lines. Her last position at Eastman Kodak Company was as the Vice President and General Manager of Professional, Printing and Publishing Imaging, a business unit with $2.3 billion in revenues. Recruited to lead Brady, Ms. Hudson launched efforts to globalize the company, expanding its presence from eight countries to twenty-two. From 1994 until her retirement in 2003, Brady’s revenues doubled and its market capitalization tripled. Ms. Hudson has also served on the boards of directors of the following public companies within the last five years: (1) CNH Global, from 2004 until 2006, including service as its Non-Executive Chairman; and (2) Ericsson, from 2006 until 2008. In addition, Ms. Hudson has served on the board of directors of International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc., which is also a public company, since 2008. In the past, Ms. Hudson served on the Audit Committees of the public companies Case Corporation and CNH Global, as well as on the Compensation Committee of Apple Computer Corporation and all three committees of the Company, at various times. As Chief Information Officer at Eastman Kodak Company, she was honored by Information Week as the Chief Information Officer of the Year in 1991 and by CIO Magazine as one of the twenty-five most influential people in shaping the computer industry in 1992. Ms. Hudson chairs our Audit Committee and serves on our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Bruce J. Klatsky
Director Since 2010

Mr. Klatsky, 61, was the Chief Executive Officer of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation ("PVH"), an apparel and retail company whose brands include Calvin Klein, Geoffrey Bean, IZOD, Van Heusen, and G.H. Bass & Co., from 1992 until 2005 and served as the Chairman of the board of directors of PVH from 1994 until 2007. As Chief Executive Officer of PVH, Mr. Klatsky oversaw the operations and strategic direction of this multi-division NYSE-listed company with annual sales and royalties of approximately $2,000,000,000, including licensing revenues attributable to a multi-billion dollar global brand licensing business. Under Mr. Klatsky's leadership, PVH's market capitalization grew from approximately $300,000,000 to more than $3,500,000,000. Mr. Klatsky joined PVH in 1971 as a merchandising trainee and subsequently held various management positions before being named President of PVH in 1987. After leaving his executive position at PVH, Mr. Klatsky co-founded LNK Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in consumer and retail businesses such as Ariat and Au Bon Pain. Mr. Klatsky has served on the board of directors of Gazal Ltd., one of the largest publicly traded retail and apparel companies in Australia, since 2009, and currently serves as the Chairman. He also serves on the board of directors for a number of private and not-for-profit organizations and served on President Clinton's White House Apparel Task Force, which addressed working conditions around the globe, and as an advisor on U.S. trade policy to the administrations of Presidents Reagan and Bush. Mr. Klatsky received his B.S., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University and attended the Georgetown University Law Center in 1970 and 1971.  Mr. Klatsky serves on our Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.

Paula A. Price
Director Since March 2011

Ms. Price, 49, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ahold USA Retail ("Ahold"), the U.S. operations of Royal Ahold, which is publicly traded on Euronext Amsterdam, whose supermarket businesses include Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, Giant Carlisle and Peapod. Ms. Price is responsible for Ahold USA's finance, strategy and planning, real estate development and construction and technology functions. Ms. Price joined Ahold in 2009 as Chief Financial Officer of Stop & Shop/Giant Landover. Before moving to Ahold USA, Ms. Price was the Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, and a Senior Vice President of CVS Caremark Corporation, an integrated pharmacy services provider, where she worked from 2006 until 2008. As Chief Accounting Officer and Controller, Ms. Price oversaw controls, accounting and financial reporting, assisted with strategic planning, and played a key role in the merger and integration of CVS and Caremark. From 2002 until 2005 Ms. Price held various positions at JP Morgan Chase & Company. Ms. Price has also held positions at other financial institutions and businesses including Prudential Financial, Inc., Kraft Foods, Inc., Sears, Roebuck & Company, and Arthur Andersen LLP. Ms. Price received her B.S. in accounting from DePaul University and her MBA in finance and strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Ms. Price is a Certified Public Accountant. She currently serves as an overseer for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and previously served on the board of trustees of the Metropolitan College of New York. Ms. Price serves on our Audit Committee.

Anthony M. Romano
Director Since March 2011

Mr. Romano, 48, has served as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and as a Director since March 23, 2011. Before his appointment to this position in March 2011, Mr. Romano served as our Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for our operations following the resignation of our former Chief Executive Officer in October 2010. He also served as Executive Vice President – Global Sourcing and Business Transformation from February 2009, when he joined the Company, until October 2010. Prior to joining the Company in February 2009, he served as executive vice president and chief supply chain officer for the women's clothing retailer, Ann Taylor, Inc. ("Ann Taylor"), from May 2005 through July 2008; as executive vice president, corporate operations for Ann Taylor from March 2004 through May 2005; and as senior vice president global logistics for Ann Taylor from June 1997 through March 2004. Mr. Romano had previously spent eight years at the Company in a variety of operational and financial roles before joining Ann Taylor in 1997. He started his career as a certified public accountant with the predecessor firm to Ernst & Young, and is a summa cum laude graduate of Syracuse University where he was a four year football letterman and an Academic All-American.

Alan Rosskamm
Director Since 1992

Mr. Rosskamm, 61, has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Breakthrough Charter Schools since November 1, 2009. Breakthrough Charter Schools is a non-profit charter management organization created to support the operation of four high performing public charter schools in Cleveland, Ohio. He served as our Interim Chief Executive Officer from July 10, 2008 until April 2, 2009 and as our Chairman of the Board from June 26, 2008 until June 24, 2010. Mr. Rosskamm was the Chief Executive Officer of Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. ("Jo-Ann"), from October 1985 until August 2006, Chairman of its board of directors from July 1992 until August 2006 and a director from 1985 until March 2011. Under his leadership, Jo-Ann became the nation's leading retailer of fabrics and sewing supplies and one of the nation's largest retailers of craft and floral products, operating approximately 800 stores in 47 states. Since 2007, Mr. Rosskamm has been a director of PetSense, Inc., a start-up retailer with 41 pet stores serving smaller U.S. markets. Mr. Rosskamm serves on our Compensation Committee.