Kevin Hall Named President and CEO of Geneva Watch Group

NEW YORK, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Geneva Watch Group announced today that it has appointed Kevin Hall as President and Chief Executive Officer.  Hall will assume executive responsibilities effective immediately.

Hall began his career at Procter & Gamble where he spent 16 years holding various roles, with his last role being the Global General Manager of the company's Vidal Sassoon business. Following Procter & Gamble he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Fidelity Investments where he led the organization through the launch of several new financial products and services while helping to build a more consumer-centric organization. He then spent five years at Hanesbrands in various positions, beginning as Chief Marketing Officer, assuming the role of General Manager for Champion and eventually becoming President of the Hbi Outerwear Strategic Business Unit. 

"We are happy to have Kevin leading Geneva Watch Group with his strength in marketing, strategic leadership and his passion for talent development. We strongly believe the success of our company starts with our most important asset – our people," said Simone Binda, Chairman of Geneva Watch Group. "We will continue to work closely with Kevin to ensure we are aligned as a global company achieving growth and profitability as we continue to be a market leader in the watch industry."

Hall brings strong vision and a marketing background marked by significant accomplishments. As President of Hbi Outerwear, which includes the Champion and Hanes brands, sales and profits grew dramatically. These results were led by the very successful re-launch of Champion Activewear. Gear for Sports (collegiate apparel) was also acquired as part of the growth plan.  Champion partnered with US Lacrosse, ESPN Sports Complex at Disney and the AAU to provide branded activewear. Retail partners included Macy's, Kohl's, Target, Walmart and Sporting Goods.  Hbi also included an ecommerce business and several branded retail stores.

While at Procter & Gamble Hall was the Marketing Director for Pantene during the brand re-launch that propelled it from a niche to category leader in the US. As Managing Director of the Global Deodorant category he led globalization plans and strategies for the category. Hall was Procter & Gamble's first Global Franchise GM on Vidal Sassoon, partnering with business teams from around the world to deliver a global P&L which included the launch of the business in China. 

Hall is a proven leader in bringing brands to the forefront and views this as an exciting opportunity to leverage his experience. "I'm passionate about consumer brands and I am looking forward to building a strong business with Geneva in this highly competitive market," says Hall. "I believe my time working in apparel and on consumer products with an emphasis on innovation and growth will help us reach the next chapter across all of our business channels."

A graduate of Indiana University, Hall received his MBA from the Kelley School of Business and was inducted into their alumni Hall of Fame in 2010. 

About Geneva Watch Group:
Founded in 1974, Geneva Watch Group is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of digital and analog watches and clocks. The company creates timepieces under license for fashion and lifestyle brands such as Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Sperry Top-Sider, Tommy Bahama, Ted Baker London, and Zoo York. Geneva Watch Group also produces its own proprietary brands including Freestyle, a performance watch brand for active and outdoor enthusiasts; Gametime, which provides team sports logo watches for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and major universities; and luxury watch brand Breil. In addition to creating timepieces under license for esteemed brands and its own, Geneva Watch Group also designs and manufactures watches and clocks under private label for most of the world's largest retailers. For more information, please visit GenevaWatchGroup.com

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SOURCE Geneva Watch Group