Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer and President
American Apparel founder and Chief Executive Officer Dov Charney is a self-described "hustler" and one of fashion's leading innovators. His vision of a vertically integrated, sweatshop-free company was realized in downtown Los Angeles in 1997. Today, the company stands as the country's largest domestic clothing manufacturer. Offering garment workers unprecedented wages and benefits, Charney presided over the fastest retail rollout in American history without sacrificing his penchant for quality and unity within the brand. With approximately 10,000 employees worldwide, he remains integrally related to the daily direction of the company, designing, photographing and even testing many of the clothes himself. Even after taking the company public in late 2007, he's passionately stubborn about knowing the faces of his employees, meeting them in the factory and retail showroom alike.
Combining his socially conscious agenda with shrewd, savvy business acumen, Charney's work has been recognized often for American Apparel's success as well as his commitment to his employees. Ernst & Young named Charney Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004 and Apparel Magazine, the Fashion Industry Guild and the Ad Specialty Industry all separately deemed him "Man of the Year". Charney was included in the Los Angeles Times Magazine's "100 Most Powerful People of Southern California" list and Details Magazine named him in their "Power 50". Following in the footsteps of fashion legends Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, and Oscar de la Renta, among others, Charney was named Retailer of the Year at the 15th Annual Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry.
Charney attended Tufts University in Massachusetts as well as Choate Rosemary Hall and St. George's School of Montreal.
Jacob Capps is a partner of Lion Capital LLP, a private equity firm focused on the consumer sector. Prior to joining Lion Capital in April 2007, Mr. Capps was a principal with Crestview Partners, a New York based private equity firm, from March 2005 to March 2007. From August 1998 to December 2000 and July 2002 to February 2005, Mr. Capps worked for Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, a Dallas based private equity firm. From June 1996 to June 1998, Mr. Capps worked in the investment banking division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York. Mr. Capps holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
Robert Greene is a bestselling author known for his books on strategy. Mr. Greene has worked as a private consultant to several executives in businesses ranging from financial management, to artists' agencies and film producers. He has written three books, all published by Penguin: The 48 Laws of Power (1998, over 900,000 copies sold in US, and translated into 21 languages); The Art of Seduction (2001) and The 33 Strategies of War (2006). He has worked in New York City as an editor and writer for several magazines, including Esquire, and in Hollywood as a story developer and writer. He lived for years in London, England; Paris, France; and Barcelona, Spain; he speaks several languages and has worked as a translator. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a B.A. in classical studies.
Adrian Kowalewski has been with American Apparel since June 2006. In his role as Chief Financial Officer, he has been chiefly involved in the corporate finance function and helping set company strategy. From July 1999 to June 2002, he worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of CIBC World Markets in New York and London, where he was involved in advising public and private companies in North America and Europe on mergers and acquisition transactions. From July 2003 to July 2004, he worked for Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, where he participated in financial restructurings, mergers and acquisitions and private placements. He also worked at Lazard Freres & Co., a preeminent advisory investment bank. Kowalewski holds an A.B. with honors from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Allan Mayer has been a principal partner, member of the management committee, and head of the Strategic Communications Division of 42West LLC, a leading public relations firm, since October 2006. In this capacity, and in his previous position as managing director and head of the entertainment practice at the nationally-known crisis communications firm Sitrick And Company, which he held from 1997 until October 2006, he has advised a wide range of corporate and institutional clients in the entertainment and related industries, including, among others, Imagine Entertainment, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the Motion Picture Association of America, MTV Networks, the Recording Industry Association of America, Sony Pictures, United Artists, Universal Studios, and The Weinstein Co., as well as providing strategic counsel to such high-profile individuals as Halle Berry, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Eminem, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Rush Limbaugh, and Steven Spielberg. Mr. Mayer served as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal from 1972 to 1973; a writer, foreign correspondent and senior editor for Newsweek from 1973 to 1982, and the founding editor (and later publisher) of Buzz magazine from 1990 to 1997. He served as editorial director of Arbor House Publishing Co. from 1987 to 1988 and senior editor of Simon & Schuster from 1988 to 1990. Mr. Mayer has authored two books—Madam Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher and Her Rise to Power (Newsweek Books, 1980) and Gaston's War (Presidio Press, 1987). He also is co-author, with Michael S. Sitrick, of Spin: How To Turn The Power of the Press to Your Advantage (Regnery, 1998). In addition, he has written for a wide variety of national publications, ranging from The New York Times Magazine to Vogue. Mr. Mayer is a recipient of numerous professional honors, including the National Magazine Award, the Overseas Press Club Citation of Excellence, and six William Allen White Awards. Mr. Mayer serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent and lectures regularly on crisis management and communications at UCLA's Anderson School of Business and USC's Annenberg School of Communication. Mr. Mayer received his B.A. from Cornell University.
Keith Miller is a partner of Goode Consumer Advisors. Prior to joining Goode at its formation in January 2006, Mr. Miller was a private investor and advisor to the global consumer branded marketplace. From October 2002 to March 2006, Mr. Miller served as a senior advisor to Itochu Corporation's executive management in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. His responsibilities included the origination, structuring and the execution of brand related mergers and acquisitions, licenses, distribution and joint venture agreements in Asia. As a principal investor and while assisting Itochu, Mr. Miller targeted the acquisition of many consumer and lifestyle brands with global awareness and positioning. From 1987 to 1999, Mr. Miller was the co-founder and President of a manufacturing business which supplied some of the most notable brands in the world including: Gap, Adidas, Old Navy, Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi Strauss and Company, Express, and The Limited. Mr. Miller is an advisory board member and shareholder of Chrome Hearts, Inc., and advisory board member to LeSportsac, Shabby Chic, Intermix, Vestal Watch Company and James Perse. Mr. Miller sits on the board of the Sachdev Group of New Dehli, India which operates and manages global luxury consumer brands in the country of India. Mr. Miller continues to advise many well known entrepreneurs, CEOs and principal shareholders in the consumer marketplace.
Neil Richardson is a founding partner of Lion Capital, a private equity firm focused on the consumer sector. Mr. Richardson has been with Lion Capital since its inception in January 2004. Prior to founding Lion Capital, Mr. Richardson was with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. ("KKR") from 1998 to 2003, latterly as a General Partner. From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Richardson was Chairman of Glenisla, the European affiliate of KKR. From 1986 to 1993, Mr. Richardson worked in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston in London and New York. From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Richardson worked at Bain & Company. Mr. Richardson holds a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University.
Mark Samson has been Managing Director of Getzler Henrich and Associates LLC., a leading corporate restructuring firm in the U.S. with a focus on middle market companies, since 1999. In this capacity, he has served as interim chief executive officer, chief operating officer and/or chief restructuring officer and financial advisor for more than 40 companies. During his tenure with Getzler Henrich, Mr. Samson has provided numerous clients with guidance in operational restructuring, bankruptcy proceedings and business operation, management practices, cash flow and profitability improvements. From 1984 to 2000, Mr. Samson served as Executive Chairman of the Board, Co-President and Chief Executive Officer of Debjon Group/Sidcor/MQM Group, a consortium of 53 vertically integrated retail businesses and convenience stores. From 1976 to 1984, Mr. Samson was Marketing Director for the Berden Group, the largest manufacturer of work wear and corporate uniforms in Africa. Mr. Samson received his BBA in Economics and Marketing from the University of South Africa and is a member of the Turnaround Management Association and American Bankruptcy Institute.
Mark A. Thornton has been an independent consultant to various clients, advising them in the areas of private equity raises and project management, and also lectures at the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative, since January 2005.. From April 2002 until December 2004, Mr. Thornton researched and authored a book, entitled Meditation in a New York Minute, which was published by Sounds True. At various times during the period from 1997 to March 2002, Mr. Thornton worked in several capacities for JPMorgan, including serving as the Chief Operating Officer for JPMorgan Private Bank in London from June 2001 to March 2002, specializing in operational risk management relating to the merger of JPMorgan with Robert Fleming. He oversaw core aspects of the merger and chaired numerous committees related to operational risk, new product lines and new business development. Prior to joining JPMorgan in 1997, Mr. Thornton worked in various market risk and credit risk positions for blue chip investment banks and securities firms, including Daiwa Europe Bank plc and Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.
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