• Home
  • News
  • People
  • George Feldenkreis nominates four members to Perry Ellis board

George Feldenkreis nominates four members to Perry Ellis board

By Prachi Singh

loading...

Scroll down to read more

People

George Feldenkreis, the largest shareholder of Perry Ellis International, Inc. with approximately 10.8 percent of the company’s outstanding common stock, has nominated Oscar Feldenkreis, Mary Ellen Kanoff, Scott A. LaPorta and Matthew McEvoy for election to the Perry Ellis board of directors at the upcoming 2018 annual meeting of shareholders.

On February 6, 2018, Feldenkreis, the former president and CEO of the company, submitted a letter to the board with a proposal to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Perry Ellis not already beneficially owned by him at a price of 27.50 dollars per share. The company said in a statement that Feldenkreis believes that the proposal presents an opportunity for Perry Ellis shareholders to realize an attractive, all-cash premium for their shares in a challenging operating environment.

George Feldenkreis announces four director nominations

According to the company statement, Oscar Feldenkreis has served as the company’s CEO and president since April 2016. Oscar Feldenkreis was elected the company’s vice president and a director in 1979 and joined the Company on a full-time basis in 1980. He has been involved in all aspects of the Company’s operations since that time and was elected president/COO, in February 1993, and vice chairman of the Board in March 2005.

He is also on the board of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, President of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), Greater Miami Chapter, member of the Leadership Council of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, an advisory board member of the Miami Fashion Institute for Miami-Dade College, an advisory board member of My Melaand an advisory board member for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business Retail. Oscar Feldenkreis is deemed to beneficially own approximately 7.7 percent of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

Mary EllenKanoff has been the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Peninsula Pacific, a private equity firm since July 2013. Prior to joining Peninsula Pacific, she served as a corporate partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins for over 25 years, specializing in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general company representation. Kanoff serves on the board of Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. and Vorteq Coil Finishers, LLC, two of Peninsula Pacific’s portfolio companies. She also serves on the University of California, Berkeley Foundation board of trustees, the Providence of St. John’s Health Center board and the Chrysalis board of directors.

Scott LaPorta has served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Neurobrands, LLC, a functional beverages brand, since January 2017. Previously, LaPorta was president of Bolthouse Farms from August 2015 to July 2016 and served as its CFO and COO from September 2009 to July 2015. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Global Consumer Acquisition Corporation, a public fund focused on consumer businesses, in 2007 to 2008. From 2002 to 2006, LaPorta served in various capacities at Levi Strauss, Inc., including as president of Levi Strauss Signature USA, Levi Strauss Mexico and Canada from 2004 to 2006 and as senior vice president of finance, strategy and sales, North America from 2002 to 2003. Previously, he has held key leadership roles at Park Place Entertainment, including serving as a director of Jupiters Limited, an Australian public gaming company.

Matthew McEvoy, the company added, is a senior luxury goods executive with over 25 years’ experience working with consumer companies. Since September 2017,McEvoy has served as an independent strategic advisor. From 2002 until September 2017, he held several executive roles at Burberry Group plc, including chief of strategy and business development, from 2008 until his departure, and SVP strategy, licensing and investor relations from 2002 to 2008. Prior to joining Burberry, McEvoy spent nearly 15 years at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including VP of the High Technology Group and Retail and Apparel Focus Group. He has served as an independent director of Vera Bradley, Inc., a publicly listed branded retailer, since August 2011.

George Feldenkreis is the founder of Supreme International, which started designing and importing apparel in 1967, eventually went public in 1993, and changed its name to Perry Ellis International, Inc. upon completing the acquisition of the brand in 2000. George Feldenkreis has been an owner of the company for over 50 years, its president, CEO, and chairman of the board since 1967 until September 2017, and continues to be a member of the board.

Picture:Perry Ellis International website

George Feldenkreis
oscar feldenkreis
Perry Ellis International