Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Retailer Charming Charlie Announces New Leadership Appointments

HOUSTON, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Charlie Chanaratsopon, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Charming Charlie, announced the appointment of four highly accomplished retail executives to the company. Judi Langley, John Hnanicek, Melissa Whitehead and Robin Beighley have joined the company as they work to take the brand to new heights. These senior level hires are part of the ongoing development of Charming Charlie's internal structure and mark another step in their continued national expansion, including the opening of 60 retail locations in 2012.

"We are extremely pleased and excited to have leaders of this caliber joining the Charming Charlie team," said Chanaratsopon.  "We are certain that their unique expertise and experience will help us achieve our goals."

Judi Langley, named Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, has successfully led strong retail brands throughout her career and brings relevant experience and a strong track record to Charming Charlie. In her new position, she is responsible for leading the product direction and merchandising strategies for Charming Charlie. In earlier leadership roles, Ms. Langley was Senior Vice President Design and Trend at Kohl's for their private brands and has held senior positions at Ann Taylor, Gap Inc. and Victoria's Secret.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity, with so much growth on both a national and global level. I look forward to working with this talented team as we make this brand the number one choice in fashion jewelry and accessories," said Langley.

Charming Charlie has also tapped long-time retail executive John Hnanicek to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, where he is tasked to build a scalable technology infrastructure that will enable Charming Charlie to rapidly innovate.  Prior to this new role, Mr. Hnanicek's career has mostly been in high growth retail and eCommerce concepts with brands including OfficeMax, Hollywood Video and eToys.

Melissa Whitehead joins the team as Senior Vice President of Store Operations, where she will lead an organization that supports a base of more than 180 stores.  Ms. Whitehead brings to Charming Charlie more than thirty years of extensive store operations experience. Before joining Charming Charlie, she served as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations at ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. Prior to Ulta, Ms. Whitehead led regional teams for Gap Inc. and Victoria's Secret.

Robin Beighley joins Charming Charlie as Store Operations Director, where, as part of Ms. Whitehead's team, she'll oversee retail operations, including store communication, customer experience and process strategy. Ms. Beighley brings over 20 years of retail experience to the company, most recently serving as Director of Store Process and Systems Operations at The Walt Disney Company and prior to that as Store Operations Director for Victoria's Secret.

Since launching in 2004, Charming Charlie has become a leader in the women's fashion accessory retail category offering a wide array of affordable, diverse items merchandised by color. In less than eight years, the company has grown to 182 stores in 33 states with more than 4,500 employees.

About charming CHARLIE

Growing up in the jewelry business with an upbringing immersed in commerce, Charlie Chanaratsopon always had the idea that he would one day create a retail establishment that catered to women who loved baubles. The Charming Charlie team incubated the women's fashion accessory concept in 2004 by creating a unique company that values its customers by providing them with affordable price points, a broad selection of accessories and a merchandising layout based on color instead of category. What began as a retail space one floor below the family business in Houston, TX, has since expanded to become a growing universal fit in shopping centers and malls across the country. www.charmingcharlie.com

SOURCE charming CHARLIE