Sole Society Appoints Andrea Wasserman As Chief Executive Officer

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sole Society, a leading e-commerce site providing high-quality, on-trend shoes, handbags and accessories at affordable prices, announced today that it has named Andrea Wasserman as Chief Executive Officer and a member of their Board of Directors.  Wasserman, a 13-year retail veteran, has a proven track record as an exceptional operator, innovator and leader.  Most recently, Wasserman served as National Bridal Director of Nordstrom, where she spearheaded the re-positioning of Nordstrom's multichannel bridal brand. 

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At Nordstrom, Wasserman introduced approximately two dozen new vendors - including Vera Wang and Bliss by Monique Lhuillier - and a made-to-order business model as well as establishing strategic business development partnerships, including Nordstrom Weddings x Etsy Weddings.  Additionally, Wasserman created and spearheaded the digital strategy for NordstromWeddings.com and the Nordstrom Wedding Suite Blog. In her role, Wasserman led a cross-functional team of approximately 150 employees and enlarged the Nordstrom footprint from 18 doors to 46 doors.

Prior to her role at Nordstrom, Ms. Wasserman worked in retail finance and consulting for companies including Merrill Lynch and Telsey Advisory Group.

"We are extremely pleased to announce that Andrea Wasserman, an accomplished retail leader, will be joining Sole Society as CEO and Board Member," stated Brett Markinson, Sole Society Founder and active Chairman.  "Andrea is a dedicated and accomplished professional who possesses strong leadership skills and tactical retail expertise that will be a huge asset in growing the Sole Society brand."

Wasserman steps into the role previously occupied by Brett Markinson who served as CEO for the past year and a half overseeing Sole Society's formative development stage.  As a serial entrepreneur, Markinson specializes in early brand development and looks forward to welcoming Wasserman into the CEO position.  Markinson will remain the company's chairman and Wasserman will join the board of directors, which also includes representatives from Insight Ventures and Nordstrom.

"I admire the Sole Society brand and look forward to working with this world-class team to build on the strong foundation that already exists," said Andrea Wasserman. "Together, we'll focus on bringing chic affordability to customers through marketing, distribution and coveted product."

Wasserman, a New York native, received her MBA from Columbia Business School at Columbia University and her BS in Policy Analysis & Management at Cornell University.  She enjoys volunteering for various women's and retail mentoring programs at her alma maters, as well as traveling to- and shopping in- cities worldwide.  Wasserman looks forward to relocating to Los Angeles from Seattle to begin her new role as CEO for Sole Society.

Visit www.solesociety.com for additional information.

About Sole Society
Launched in March 2011, Sole Society is a chic brand of exclusive, high-quality, on-trend shoes, handbags and accessories at surprisingly affordable prices. The Sole Society website offers new shoe styles released weekly, exclusive fashion and style content, tips and trends, celebrity collections and special promotions.  Sole Society was created by leading flash sale site HauteLook and became an independent entity in December 2011, with funding from a number of investors including leading retailer Nordstrom, Inc., Insight Venture Partners and Lagovent Ventures.  Select Sole Society styles are also available at www.nordstrom.com as well as select Nordstrom stores nationwide. Visit www.solesociety.com to learn more or follow @SoleSociety on Twitter.

SOURCE Sole Society