Art.com Inc. Promotes Geoffroy Martin to CEO; Announces 2009 Sales in Excess of $140 Million and Record Profitability

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Art.com Inc., the world's largest online retailer of wall art, today announced the promotion of Geoffroy Martin from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer.  Michael Heinstein, who served as Chief Executive Officer since founding the company in 1998, will assume the role of Chairman.  The company also announced record annual profitability on sales of more than $140 million for 2009.  In December 2009, Art.com Inc. announced that it had passed the 10-million customer milestone.

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"I am pleased with the board of directors' decision to appoint Geoffroy CEO," said Heinstein. "Geoffroy's operational and strategic leadership has transformed Art.com Inc. into the e-commerce leader in the wall art market and he is the ideal choice to drive the company to the next level of growth and success."

"I am thrilled by the opportunity to lead this very innovative company and am honored to be entrusted with carrying on the tremendous legacy and vision of Michael Heinstein," said Martin. "Art.com has a strong leadership team in place and our 2009 results demonstrate our ability to deliver a fantastic customer experience and to build a highly profitable business with strong financial metrics.  Art.com's unparalleled selection, unique visualization tools, and outstanding value proposition have made our company a leader both in the US and Europe, and we are only beginning to tap this very large global market.  I am very excited to lead the company through its next phase of growth."

Since joining Art.com in 2004, Martin has actively managed and improved nearly every facet of the business including Engineering, HR, Marketing and User Experience.  He developed the company's international expansion strategy and as COO built a first class operations team from the ground up.  Prior to joining Art.com, Martin spent several years with ONI Systems, Inc., where he built and led the planning organization and supply chain.  He holds Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from both Ecole Centrale Paris in France and Politecnico di Torino in Italy.

"Art.com is the best e-commerce company that you've never heard of.  Geoffroy will certainly change that.  Consumers worldwide will know where to turn first when contemplating or acquiring wall art," said Alan Spoon, general partner with Polaris Ventures, former president of The Washington Post Company and Art.com Inc. board member.

"The online art market is a canvas that has only begun to be painted and Art.com is extremely well-positioned to capture the market's tremendous growth opportunities," said Bob Kagle, partner with Benchmark Capital, early investor in eBay and Art.com Inc. board member.  "Geoffroy has great ambition and a clear vision for driving profitable and sustainable growth that will enable Art.com to reach its true potential."

About Art.com Inc.

Art.com Inc. is a leading authority in wall art and the world's largest online retailer of posters, prints, and framed art, with sales in excess of $140 million. Since 1998, Art.com Inc. has sold high-quality wall art online to more than ten million customers – including home decorators, interior designers, businesses, art collectors, and art lovers – in over 120 countries worldwide. Its décor experts are always on top of the latest wall décor and decorating trends, and make unique and hard-to-find wall art accessible to the everyday consumer. The privately-held company is headquartered in Emeryville, CA and is venture-backed by Benchmark Capital and Polaris Ventures. For more information, visit www.art.com and www.AllPosters.com.

"art.com" and "AllPosters" are registered trademarks of Art.com Inc.

SOURCE Art.com Inc.