HSN.com Reorganizes to Broaden Multichannel Opportunities
PRNewswire-FirstCall
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
Kris Kulesza has been named Executive Vice President over HSN.com, it was announced today by Marty Nealon, President of HSN – U.S. Also announced today were the appointments of Matthew Siegel and Jon Kapplow as Vice President of E-tail Strategy and Vice President of Multichannel Marketing for HSN.com, respectively.
The new appointments are part of HSN’s concentrated efforts to continue growing its TV and online business through strategic multichannel initiatives that benefit both HSN TV and HSN.com. The versatile retail site, which began in 1999, has now grown to represent more than one-fifth of HSN’s domestic business.
“Kris, Matt and Jon have all been key contributors to the ongoing development and expansion of HSN’s highly successful online business,” states Ms. Nealon. “Their proficient strategic skills, combined with a strong mix of merchandising experience and online marketing acumen, will further enhance our ability to serve our growing base of multichannel customers.”
In her new role, Ms. Kulesza will oversee all aspects of HSN.com, including online merchandising, technology and operations for the site. She reports to Ms. Nealon.
Ms. Kulesza joined HSN in 1998 as Vice President of Merchandising, where she led HSN’s team of jewelry merchants as they expanded their assortment of products on both HSN TV and HSN.com. In May of 2005, she assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Online Merchandising, where she worked diligently to broaden the site’s overall product assortment and infuse a robust multichannel ideology among HSN’s vast merchandising team.
Before joining HSN, Ms. Kulesza was part of a turnaround team for People’s Jewelers, serving as Vice President of Merchandising. During her four-year tenure there, she was instrumental in the successful relaunch of the Canadian jewelry chain. Prior to People’s Jewelers, she was President of Lipton’s, a chain of specialty stores featuring women’s ready-to-wear.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Ms. Kulesza received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and a Chartered Accountant designation with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
As Vice President of E-tail Strategy, Mr. Siegel’s responsibilities will broaden to include multichannel project management, technology and e-commerce. In this new role, he will work collaboratively with HSN’s various online businesses, including the Cornerstone Brands, to evaluate new opportunities and develop strategies that will benefit the company’s overall business. He will continue to oversee the HSN.com Product, Operations, Content Producer and Analytics teams.
Mr. Siegel joined HSN as Vice President of Product Management in August of 2003, where he developed HSN.com’s popular “when to watch” e-mail program. This innovative shopping alert allows customers to request e-mail reminders of their upcoming favorite shows on HSN TV. He was also responsible for the redesign of the “weekly product review,” which provides HSN TV customers the ability to view, in one convenient location, products that have appeared on the shopping network over the past 7 days.
Before joining HSN, Mr. Siegel served as Director of Product Development for GameFly.com an internet startup that offers unlimited video game rentals, where he designed and led the development of their first website. Prior to GameFly.com, he was Director of Product Management for Ticketmaster.com where he redesigned the Ticketmaster checkout process and assisted with the design of TicketExchange, the company’s secondary ticket offering. He has also held positions with LivePlanet, eToys.com, CitySearch and Warner Brothers Studios.
A native of Los Angeles, Mr. Siegel received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University.
As Vice President of Multichannel Marketing for HSN.com, Mr. Kapplow will oversee HSN.com’s Multichannel, E-mail Marketing, Credit Card Marketing and Online Marketing teams.
Mr. Kapplow joined HSN as Director of Multichannel Marketing in September of 2004 and was responsible for increasing revenues generated through customer e-mails by 72% and significantly raising the number of multichannel HSN customers through a number of innovative programs. One of the programs he launched is the customer review program called “Customer Picks” that debuted in early 2005.
Before joining HSN, Mr. Kapplow served as Director of Internet and Corporate Marketing for the multi-title catalog and internet retailer Hanover Direct. During his tenure there, he launched and built the company’s online search program and conducted major distribution deals, being one of the first to sign on to Amazon.com’s third-party network, among others.
A native of Miami, Florida, Mr. Kapplow received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and earned a Master of Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology.