NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilt Groupe, Inc., the innovative online shopping destination, announced that Elizabeth Francis has been named Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Ms. Francis joins the company this week and will report to Kevin Ryan, Founder and CEO. Ms. Francis will be responsible for the company's new customer generation and retention programs across all channels as well as creative direction, overall brand positioning, and research and analytics. Ms. Francis succeeds Alexis Maybank, a Founder of Gilt, who stepped in to lead as CMO six months ago. Ms. Maybank has held a number of critical roles at the company and will resume her previous title of Chief Strategy Officer.

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Ms. Francis has over 12 years of marketing and advertising experience—building and scaling emerging brands—in fashion, consumer packaged goods, and financial services companies. She joins Gilt from Intelligent Beauty, a leading e-commerce and brand-building incubator where she was CMO. In addition to her responsibilities as Intelligent Beauty's CMO, she was also President of JustFabulous, an online fashion and accessories brand and an Intelligent Beauty venture. Prior to Intelligent Beauty, Ms. Francis was a Vice President at Alena, a Fox Interactive Company, and also spent several years at LowerMyBills.com.

"Elizabeth's experience in the e-commerce fashion and accessories industry, coupled with her proven track record of scaling brands, makes her a terrific fit for Gilt," said Ryan. "Gilt has quickly built a brand through unconventional marketing vehicles and Elizabeth is well suited to lead marketing to ensure we continue on that path."

Said Maybank: "I worked closely with Kevin to fill the CMO role, and Elizabeth stood out as someone who had a clear passion for the Gilt brand and a vision to scale our marketing initiatives and organization successfully over the coming years." 

"I'm thrilled to join the fantastically talented Gilt team," said Francis, "and to build on their philosophy of marketing innovation and excellence in the industry."

Ms. Francis holds Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and is an active member of the Direct Marketing Association and Fashion Group International.

About Gilt Groupe, Inc.
Gilt Groupe, www.gilt.com, is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most inspiring merchandise, culinary offerings, and experiences every day, many at insider prices. Gilt continually searches the world for the most coveted brands and products, including fashion for women, men, and children; home decor; artisanal ingredients; hotels and travel experiences on every continent; and unique activities in a growing list of cities and destinations. We believe that every day is an opportunity to inspire and be inspired.

 

SOURCE Gilt Groupe, Inc.

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