PITTSBURGH, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- First Insight, a company that is revolutionizing the way retailers and manufacturers make decisions, has announced that merchandising expert Gwen Manto joined the company as the Chief Customer Officer.  

Ms. Manto brings a broad retail background and over 35 years of industry experience to the role, which includes responsibility for all customer-facing aspects of First Insight, including business development, sales and marketing.

Ms. Manto has held leadership roles across various retail formats, including department stores, mid-tier, specialty and off-price stores. Most recently, she served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer of Dick's Sporting Goods, where she was responsible for all areas of merchandising, planning and allocation, product development and sourcing.  Prior to Dick's Sporting Goods, Ms. Manto was the Executive Vice President of Softlines for Sears, Roebuck & Company, where she led the apparel and soft home categories to over $6.5 billion in revenue.

In 1999, Ms. Manto joined the Stein Mart team as Chief Merchandising Officer and subsequently became Vice Chairman.  She was responsible for merchandising and marketing for this 270-store chain.  Before joining Stein Mart, Ms. Manto was the President of the Kid's Foot Locker.  Ms. Manto has also held senior roles at Kids R Us, Babies R Us, Rich's and Macy's.  

"Gwen is an extremely talented merchant and business executive that has a keen understanding of the customer's perspective and the value this can provide retailers," said Greg Petro, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of First Insight. "Throughout her career, she has been involved in vetting and selecting retail technology solutions, so it is a great vote of confidence that she has chosen to join our team at First Insight."  

"First Insight's solution has the power to truly transform the entire retail industry.  By incorporating consumer influence and predictive science in a real-time selection process, First Insight gives retailers and manufacturers more control in making the most profitable decisions.  I am excited to join such an innovative team and to be part of such an impactful solution," said Ms. Manto.  

About First Insight, Inc.

First Insight is revolutionizing the way retailers and manufacturers make critical business decisions by connecting them to the voice of consumers through social media. The Pittsburgh based company has created a solution to generate early insight on trends, attributes and product demand by tapping into the current insights of consumers at a speed that is unprecedented in the industry.  Implementing First Insight's solution gives retailers and manufacturers guidance for product design, buying, assortment planning, pricing and marketing decisions, dramatically increasing sales and gross margin.  First Insight is currently working with some of the leaders and largest retailers in the industry.  More information is available at www.firstinsight.com.

SOURCE First Insight

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