Avon Board of Directors Announces Appointment of Sherilyn S. (Sheri) McCoy as Chief Executive Officer of Avon

NEW YORK, April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Sherilyn S. (Sheri) McCoy as Chief Executive Officer. Ms. McCoy will join Avon effective April 23, 2012, and will also serve as a director on the company's Board.

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Ms. McCoy, 53, assumes leadership of Avon following an exceptional 30-year career at Johnson & Johnson, where she rose to become Vice Chairman of the company's Pharmaceutical, Consumer, Corporate Office of Science & Technology, and Information Technology divisions. In this capacity she served on J & J's Executive Committee with oversight for more than 60% of J & J's $65 billion in revenues. Her responsibilities included stewardship for a broad portfolio of world-famous consumer brands including brands such as Neutrogena, Aveeno, Lubriderm, Clean & Clear and ROC.

Fred Hassan, lead director of Avon's Board, said: "The Board conducted an extensive search among many world-class candidates across the direct selling, retail and consumer sectors, and Sheri emerged as the clear choice to take Avon into the future. Sheri has a unique combination of strategic and finely-honed operational skills, a significant turnaround track record, global experience  and people leadership. Given her consistent record of outperforming against new challenges, we have great confidence that under Sheri's leadership Avon can successfully execute against our strong long-term prospects."

As previously announced, Andrea Jung, currently Avon's Chairman and CEO, will continue to serve the company as Executive Chairman once Ms. McCoy assumes the CEO position. Ms. McCoy will report to the company's Board of Directors.

"We are thrilled to have someone of Sheri's caliber assuming the leadership of Avon," Ms. Jung said. "Throughout her career at J & J, Sheri has had a demonstrated track record of successfully achieving results and driving change across highly diverse operating units with widely varying product lines, customers, distribution channels and business models. She is also known for her ability to identify and empower great talent and motivate and inspire people. I look forward to supporting Sheri as Avon's new CEO," Ms. Jung added.

Ms. McCoy said: "I am extremely honored and excited to join Avon—a great company with an iconic brand and so much clear potential. Avon has an unparalleled global direct selling sales force of over six million Representatives and an enviable geographic footprint. I look forward to working with the team to develop and execute a roadmap to achieve the next phase of growth for the company."

ABOUT AVON

Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with over $11 billion in annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through approximately 6.4 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. Avon's product line includes beauty products, as well as fashion and home products, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, ANEW, Skin-So-Soft, Advance Techniques, Avon Naturals, and mark. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com.

BIOGRAPHY OF SHERILYN MCCOY

Sheri S. McCoy was Vice Chairman, Executive Committee, and member of the Office of the Chairman, Johnson & Johnson, with responsibility for the Pharmaceutical and Consumer business segments. She assumed this role in January 2011.

Previously, she was worldwide chairman, Pharmaceuticals, a position she assumed in January 2009. Her appointment followed a diverse career in the Johnson & Johnson's Consumer and Medical Devices businesses.

Sheri began her Johnson & Johnson career in 1982 as a scientist in the research and development organization supporting the Consumer women's health business. Advancing through positions of increasing responsibility, she served as head of the consumer R&D organization and later as global president of the Baby and Wound care consumer franchises. In 2005, she became Company Group Chairman for the Ethicon device franchise and a member of the Medical Device & Diagnostics Group Operating Committee, and assumed responsibility for the Group's businesses in Latin America. Three years later, she was named Chairman of the Surgical Care Group, and became a member of the Johnson & Johnson Executive Committee.

In her most recent position as worldwide chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Group, Sheri led the organization through a period of significant product launches, acquisitions and partnerships, and pipeline advances, while managing through significant loss of patent exclusivity. She is a passionate advocate for diversity of thought, leadership development, employee engagement and customer focus.

Sheri represented Johnson & Johnson on the board of PhRMA, the industry trade association, and as a member of the board of the National Quality Forum and of the Institutes of Medicine's Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Healthcare. She serves as a board member of FIRST, a non-profit organization created to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology; a member of the Rutgers University President's Business Leaders Cabinet, and as a board member of Stonehill College.

Sheri holds four U.S. patents. She has a B.S. degree in textile chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, a master's degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University, and an MBA from Rutgers University.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT FOR PURPOSES OF THE "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

Statements in this release that are not historical facts or information are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "believe," "may," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "planned," "potential," "can," "expectation" and similar expressions, or the negative of those expressions, may identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable current assumptions and expectations. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievement of Avon to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from management's expectations. Such factors include, among others, the following:

• our ability to implement the key initiatives of, and realize the gross and operating margins and projected benefits (in the amounts and time schedules we expect) from, our global business strategy, including our multi-year restructuring programs and any initiatives arising under our long-range business review, product mix and pricing strategies, Enterprise Resource Planning, customer service initiatives, sales and operation planning process, outsourcing strategies, Internet platform and technology strategies, information technology and related system enhancements and cash management, tax, foreign currency hedging and risk management strategies;
• our ability to realize the anticipated benefits (including any financial projections concerning, for example, future revenue, profit, cash flow and operating margin increases) from our multi-year restructuring programs, any initiatives arising under our long-range business review or other initiatives on the time schedules or in the amounts that we expect, and our plans to invest these anticipated benefits ahead of future growth;
• the possibility of business disruption in connection with our multi-year restructuring programs, long-range business review or other initiatives;
• our ability to realize sustainable growth from our investments in our brand and the direct-selling channel;
• our ability to transition our business in North America, including enhancing our Sales Leadership model and optimizing our product portfolio;
• a general economic downturn, a recession globally or in one or more of our geographic regions, or sudden disruption in business conditions, and the ability of our broad-based geographic portfolio to withstand an economic downturn, recession, cost inflation, commodity cost pressures, economic or political instability, competitive or other market pressures or conditions;
• the effect of political, legal, tax and regulatory risks imposed on us in the United States and abroad, our operations or our Representatives, including foreign exchange or other restrictions, adoption, interpretation and enforcement of foreign laws including any changes thereto, as well as reviews and investigations by government regulators that have occurred or may occur from time to time, including, for example, local regulatory scrutiny in China;
• our ability to effectively manage inventory and implement initiatives to reduce inventory levels, including the potential impact on cash flows and obsolescence;
• our ability to achieve growth objectives, particularly in our largest markets, such as the U.S., and developing and emerging markets, such as Brazil or Russia;
• our ability to successfully identify new business opportunities and identify and analyze acquisition candidates, secure financing on favorable terms and negotiate and consummate acquisitions as well as to successfully integrate or manage any acquired business;
• the challenges to our acquired businesses, such as Silpada, including the effect of rising costs, macro-economic pressures, competition, and the impact of declines in expected future cash flows and growth rates, and a change in the discount rate used to determine the fair value of expected future cash flows, which have impacted, and may continue to impact, the estimated fair value of the recorded goodwill and intangible assets;
• the effect of economic factors, including inflation and fluctuations in interest rates and currency exchange rates, as well as the designation of Venezuela as a highly inflationary economy, foreign exchange restrictions and the potential effect of such factors on our business, results of operations and financial condition;
• our ability to successfully transition and evolve our business in China in connection with the development and evolution of the direct-selling business in that market, our ability to operate using a direct-selling model permitted in that market and our ability to retain and increase the number of Active Representatives there over a sustained period of time;
• general economic and business conditions in our markets, including social, economic and political uncertainties in the international markets in our portfolio;
• any developments in or consequences of investigations and compliance reviews, and any litigation related thereto, including the ongoing internal investigation and compliance reviews of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and related U.S. and foreign law matters in China and additional countries, as well as any disruption or adverse consequences resulting from such investigations, reviews, related actions or litigation;
• key information technology systems, process or site outages and disruptions;
• disruption in our supply chain or manufacturing and distribution operations;
• other sudden disruption in business operations beyond our control as a result of events such as acts of terrorism or war, natural disasters, pandemic situations, large-scale power outages and similar events;
• the risk of product or ingredient shortages resulting from our concentration of sourcing in fewer suppliers;
• the quality, safety and efficacy of our products;
• the success of our research and development activities;
• our ability to attract and retain key personnel;
• competitive uncertainties in our markets, including competition from companies in the cosmetics, fragrances, skincare and toiletries industry, some of which are larger than we are and have greater resources;
• our ability to implement our Sales Leadership program globally, to generate Representative activity, to increase the number of consumers served per Representative and their engagement online, to enhance the Representative and consumer experience and increase Representative productivity through field activation programs, execution of Service Model Transformation and other investments in the direct-selling channel, and to compete with other direct-selling organizations to recruit, retain and service Representatives and to continue to innovate the direct-selling model;
• the impact of the typically seasonal nature of our business, adverse effect of rising energy, commodity and raw material prices, changes in market trends, purchasing habits of our consumers and changes in consumer preferences, particularly given the global nature of our business and the conduct of our business in primarily one channel;
• our ability to protect our intellectual property rights;
• the risk of an adverse outcome in any material pending and future litigations or with respect to the legal status of Representatives;
• our ratings, our access to cash and short and long-term financing and ability to secure financing, or financing at attractive rates;
• the impact of possible pension funding obligations, increased pension expense and any changes in pension regulations or interpretations thereof on our cash flow and results of operations; and
• the impact of changes in tax rates on the value of our deferred tax assets.

Additional information identifying such factors is contained in Item 1A of our 2011 Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. We undertake no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Avon Products, Inc.