HSN, Inc. Elevates Two Top Executives to Expand Shopping Experience, Extend Digital and Entertainment Activities and Integrate Marketing Across All Brands

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Interactive multichannel retailer HSN, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSNI) announced today the appointment of two of its key executives as members of the corporate leadership team. Bill Brand, formerly Executive Vice President of Programming, Marketing and Business Development at HSN, was promoted to Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer for HSNi, and Andy Sheldon, formerly Executive Vice President of TV, Live Events and Creative at HSN, was named Chief Creative Officer for HSNi, and General Manager of HSN Productions.

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"Bill and Andy have the vision and expertise to help us continue to redefine the shopping experience and drive growth across all our businesses," said HSNi CEO and Director Mindy Grossman. "HSNi is bringing an integrated approach to everything we do – maximizing the power of our individual brands and our distinctive content and leveraging our customer segments, enabling us to shape the future landscape of experiential retail. Both Bill and Andy have been an integral part of the transformation of HSN over the past six years and we will now leverage their talent and expertise across our portfolio."

Mr. Brand, an accomplished television executive with over 20 years of experience, has been instrumental in helping transform HSN into a lifestyle network since he joined the company in 2006. He created the network's entertainment integration strategy that has generated unique marketing opportunities with major film studios including Disney, Universal and Paramount Pictures. He has identified large scale partnerships with world-class brands that have been a key contributor to our customer file growth and has developed and oversees HSN Cares, the network's corporate giving program designed to raise awareness and funds for organizations that support women and families on a national and global basis.

As Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Mr. Brand will set overall marketing standards and direction for HSN and the Cornerstone portfolio of seven lifestyle brands, drive growth of the 59 million strong combined customer data base, and continue to forge strategic relationships with iconic brands such as the Coca-Cola Company, Disney, Toyota and Norwegian Cruise Lines.  He will also oversee communications and corporate social responsibility initiatives for HSNi.  In this capacity, Mr. Brand is now a corporate officer of HSNi.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to extend our partnerships and collaborate across the HSNi brand portfolio," said Mr. Brand. "This move will allow us to fully leverage the power of our direct-to-consumer reach, our creative content, our growing digital platforms, and our ability to create immersive, engaging customer experiences across all of HSNi."

Recognized for over 20 years as a top television executive and radio and television personality throughout the UK, Mr. Sheldon joined HSN in 2007.  Over the course of the last six years, he has worked to define the HSN brand and its personality and tone across all of the company's consumer touch points.  His unique approach to the development and distribution of creative content has enabled HSN to lead in an era where immersive experiences drive engagement and technology is leveraged in new ways to reach consumers. 

As Chief Creative Officer and GM of HSN Productions, Mr. Sheldon is charged with building HSNi's live music and entertainment business. In addition to managing the development and execution of live productions, he also will provide creative vision and strategy on HSNi-wide events and experiences.

"We see a tremendous opportunity to grow all aspects of our entertainment business, building on our recent successes with performers such as Rod Stewart and Lionel Richie.  To that end, we aim to develop new avenues that not only drive revenue but also increase our customer reach and awareness," said Mr. Sheldon.

About HSN, Inc.

HSN, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSNI) is a $3 billion interactive multichannel retailer with strong direct-to-consumer expertise among its two operating segments, HSN and Cornerstone. HSNi offers innovative, differentiated retail experiences on TV, online, via mobile devices, in catalogs, and in brick and mortar stores. HSN, a leading interactive multichannel retailer which offers a curated assortment of exclusive products combined with top brand names, now reaches approximately 95 million homes (24 hours a day, seven days a week, live 364 days a year). HSN.com is a top 10 trafficked digital sales site that offers a differentiated digital experience by leveraging content, community and commerce. In addition to its existing media platforms, HSN is the industry leader in transactional innovation, including services such as HSN Shop by Remote^®, the only service of its kind in the U.S., the HSN Shopping App for mobile handheld devices and HSN on Demand^®. Cornerstone comprises leading home and apparel lifestyle brands including Ballard Designs^®, Chasing Fireflies^®, Frontgate^®, Garnet Hill^®, Grandin Road^®, Improvements^® and TravelSmith^®. Cornerstone distributes more than 300 million catalogs annually, operates eight separate digital sales sites and operates 11 retail and outlet stores. 

SOURCE HSN, Inc.