Mark Bierley Named COO, Borders, Inc.; Rosalind Thompson Appointed Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Borders Group, Inc.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) today announced it has further strengthened its executive leadership team with two appointments. Effective immediately, Mark Bierley will now serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Borders, Inc., in addition to continuing as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Borders Group, the parent company of Borders, Inc. In his dual role of CFO and COO, Bierley now oversees finance, IT, merchandising planning and supply chain, as well as real estate and strategic planning. Rosalind (Roz) Thompson has been named Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Borders Group, effective July 6.

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"Mark has been an exceptional CFO in what has been a difficult and change-heavy environment at Borders. He's successfully led two financing programs that have strengthened the company's financial position and he's helped oversee the planning and execution of a number of key strategic initiatives. Mark is well respected in the financial community and has been vital in establishing ongoing positive relationships with our banking and vendor partners. I look forward to working with Mark in his new role where I know he'll leverage both his knowledge and talents to rebuild the Borders brand," said Borders CEO Mike Edwards.

"Roz is a strong leader with an outstanding ability to develop a culture of highly talented and focused employees. She's adept at integrating human resources strategy with business plan objectives to create a competitive advantage. I look forward to the many contributions I know she will make as the leader of our HR organization," continued Edwards.

Bierley, age 43, started his career at Borders as Manager, Store Inventory Control in 1996 and was promoted a year later to Director, Inventory Control. He was named Vice President, Financial Planning and Reporting in 2003, a post he held for four years before being named Senior Vice President, Finance in 2007. He was named Executive Vice President and CFO in January 2009. Prior to Borders, Bierley held other financial management positions at Price Waterhouse, Federal Mogul Corporation and Dunham's Sporting Goods. He holds a bachelor's degree in business accounting from Michigan State University and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. He is a certified public accountant.

Thompson, 60, brings more than 35 years of experience leading HR organizations in multi-billion dollar retail companies to her new role at Borders. Prior to joining the company, she was most recently a principal at Orange Hill Associates, an HR consultancy she established in 2007. Prior to starting her own business, Thompson served as Chief Human Resources Officer for apparel retailer Dots LLC, where she led a fully integrated P&L and managed the strategic planning of the company's key initiatives. Before joining Dots, Thompson was with Jo-Ann Stores from 1992 through 2005, starting first as Senior Vice President, HR and progressing into the role of Executive Vice President, HR. While at Jo-Ann, Thompson was recognized for her ability to successfully develop the talents and abilities needed within the organization to ensure the company's growth. Earlier in her career, Thompson also held HR positions at Lane Bryant, Lucky Supermarkets and Wallpapers To Go.

During the 2009-2010 school year, Thompson held the endowed teaching position of Goodyear Executive Professor at Kent State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis.  

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

SOURCE Borders Group