Jim McCann is a highly successful entrepreneur whose vision and energy have helped grow 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, the company he founded in 1976, into the world's leading florist and gift company. McCann's focus on customer relationships and his willingness to embrace new technologies and business channels helped change the way flowers and other gifts are marketed for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and special occasions.
McCann recognized early on the enormous potential in providing on-the-go consumers with the ability to express themselves and connect with the important people in their lives through top quality floral gifts combined with exemplary, personal service. McCann has also consistently managed to stay ahead of the curve in multi-channel retailing by embracing new technologies, such as 800 phone numbers and the Internet, often long before other retailers recognized the opportunities that these developments would provide both for business and consumers.
In addition to being the first company to have its 800-telephone number as its name – a marketing insight that helped solidify the brand in consumer's minds – McCann was a pioneer in online retailing – seizing the enormous reach of the Internet as early as 1991. Utilizing thorough knowledge of his customer base and market, McCann focused on expanding brand name awareness and instilling a sense of trust and convenience.
McCann's strategy for growth includes an effective combination of birthing new businesses and making acquisitions of businesses and brands that resonate with customers as great sources for exceptional gifts. One such new business is the BloomNet® wire service which provides retail florists with diverse resources such as website hosting, a comprehensive technology platform for retail store management and the industry's first and only online digital floral directory. On the acquisition front, McCann has expanded his company's gift offerings, and become a leading player in the Gourmet Food and Gift Baskets business, by acquiring such iconic brands as: Fannie May®, makers of gourmet chocolate and other confections; Cheryl&Co.®, creators of individually-wrapped fresh baked cookies, brownies and cakes; and The Popcorn Factory®, which offers gourmet popcorn and other snacks in exclusively designed collectible tins.
McCann attributes much of his success to the lessons he learned in his first career, in the social services. At St. John's Home for Boys in Rockaway, New York, McCann recalls, he helped underprivileged youths learn how to overcome the many challenges of their environment. His experiences greatly influenced his management style and prepared him to lead 1-800-FLOWERS.COM toward becoming one of the world's most successful multi-channel retailers.
McCann is a published author and award winning public speaker as well as a frequent guest on radio and television programs nationwide. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, McCann is a member of the Board of Directors of Willis Group Holdings Limited and Gruppo Lottomatica.
Lawrence Calcano, has been a Director of the Company since December 2007. Mr. Calcano is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Calcano Capital Advisors, Inc., an advisory and investment firm focusing on the broad technology industry, established in June 2007. From 1990 to June 2007, Mr. Calcano was employed by Goldman, Sachs & Co, most recently serving as the co-head of the firm's Global Technology Banking Group from 2002 until June 2007 and as the Co-COO of that group from 1997 to 2002. Mr. Calcano has deep domain knowledge and deal experience across all of the sub-sectors of technology, including software, the internet, communications equipment, service and semiconductors, having worked on many transactions within all of these sectors. Mr. Calcano was previously a Director of the Company from July 1999 to December 2003.
James Cannavino has been a Director of the Company since June 2007. Mr. Cannavino has been Chairman of the Board of Direct Insite since 2000 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in December 2002. Direct Insite is a global provider of financial supply chain automation across procure-to-pay and order-to cash business processes. From September 1997 through April 2000, he was elected non-executive Chairman of Softworks, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Direct Insite, formerly Computer Concepts), which went public and was later sold to EMC. Mr. Cannavino was also the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cybersafe, Inc., a company specializing in network security. Prior to Cybersafe, Mr. Cannavino was hired as President and Chief Operating Officer of Perot Systems Corporation. In 1996 he was elected to serve as Chief Executive Officer through July 1997. During his tenure at Perot, he was responsible for all the day-to-day global operations of the Company, as well as for strategy and organization. Prior to Perot Systems, Mr. Cannavino served as a Senior Vice President at IBM, where he was responsible for corporate strategy and development. Mr. Cannavino's career spanned thirty years at IBM beginning in 1963. Mr. Cannavino presently serves on the Boards of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and The International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He is the immediate past chairman of the Board of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and continues to serve on that board.
Mr. Conefry is the retired Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Astoria Financial Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary Astoria Federal Savings. He formerly served as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Long Island Bancorp and The Long Island Savings Bank from 1993 until 1998 and was a Director of the Long Island Savings Bank from 1980 until its merger with Astoria Financial in 1998. From 1981 through 1993, Mr. Conefry was a Sr. Vice President of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. where he served in several capacities, including Chief Financial Officer, Director of Operations and Systems and a Sr. Vice President in Sales. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Mr. Conefry was a partner in the public accounting firm of Deloitte Haskins & Sells where he had 14 years of extensive accounting and auditing experience.
Leonard J. Elmore has been a Director of the Company since October 2002. Mr. Elmore is a former Partner with the law firm of Dreier LLP in its New York City headquarters. Prior to his appointment with Dreier LLP in September, 2008, Mr. Elmore served as Senior Counsel with Dewey & LeBoeuf from October 2004 until March 2008. Prior thereto, Mr. Elmore served as the President of Test University, a leading provider of internet-delivered learning solutions for pre-college students, from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Elmore has served on the Board of Directors of Lee Enterprises, Inc. since February, 2007 and is currently a member of their Audit Committee. Mr. Elmore continues to fulfill his commitment to public service as a Trustee on the University of Maryland Board of Trustees, and a Commissioner on the John and James L. Knight Foundation's Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
Chris McCann is President of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and is responsible for the Company's overall performance and direction. Under his guidance, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has earned a reputation as one of the leading multi-channel retailers in the country. Additionally, McCann's role in building
1-800-FLOWERS.COM's e-commerce channel has helped accelerate the Company's growth and earned him speaking engagements at numerous interactive conferences and universities around the country.
McCann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York. Prior to his association with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, he served as President of Flora Plenty, a floral retail chain. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Marist College.
McCann lives on Long Island with his wife and three children.
Interim President, Consumer Floral Brand, Director
Jan L. Murley has been a Director of the Company since February 2007. Ms. Murley is currently serving as Interim President for the Company's Consumer Floral business segment since September 15, 2008. From June 30, 2008 to September 15, 2008, she rendered marketing consulting services to the Company. Ms. Murley has served as a consultant to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) (a private equity firm) from November 2006. From October 2003 to July 2006, Ms. Murley was Chief Executive Officer and a Director of The Boyds Collection, Ltd. (a publicly traded designer and manufacturer of gifts and collectibles), which was majority-owned by KKR. Boyds filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in October 2005 and emerged from Chapter 11 in June 2006 as a private company. Prior to that, she was group Vice President - Marketing of Hallmark Cards, Inc. (a publisher of greeting cards and related gifts) from 1999 to 2002. Previously, Ms. Murley was employed by Procter & Gamble for more than 20 years, with her last position being Vice President for skin care and personal cleansing products. Ms. Murley has been a Director of The Clorox Company since November 2001 and serves as a member of its Audit and Nominating and Governance Committees.
Jeffrey C. Walker has been a Director of the Company since February 1995 and is Chairman of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Walker is the retired Chairman & CEO of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC, a leading private equity investment firm and is currently Chairman of Millennium Promise, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating poverty in Africa. Prior to CCMP, Mr. Walker was Managing Partner of J.P. Morgan Capital Partners, the private equity group of J.P. Morgan (formerly The Chase Manhattan Corporation) since 1988, and a General Partner thereof since 1984. Mr. Walker is also a director of several private companies and a several non-profit entities.
Sr. Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communications of Express Scripts, Inc.
As senior vice president, Larry is responsible for corporate marketing and the overall management of the Express Scripts brand. An accomplished orator with a strong background in experiential marketing, Larry's trademark has been the development and production of business theater on behalf of Express Scripts. These thought provoking and highly engaging programs allow Express Scripts to display the depth of its team while exploring and discussing the complex and dynamic pharmaceutical landscape. A frequent spokesperson for the company, Larry articulates Express Scripts' business model and vision of pharmacy benefit management for both external and internal audiences.
Under Larry's leadership, Express Scripts has moved to a centralized best-in-class approach to a multitude of sales-support functions. This has allowed for greater consistency and quality control across all prospect-facing materials, meetings and correspondence.
Larry Zarin came to Express Scripts in 1996 as president of Express Scripts Vision, the company's managed vision care subsidiary. In January 1998, after the sale of Express Scripts Vision, Larry moved to corporate, where he has taken a leading role in the successful integration of the company's numerous major acquisitions — including ValueRx, Diversified Pharmaceutical Services, NPA, CuraScript and Priority Healthcare.
Following graduation from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, Larry worked for the mayor of Syracuse for five years before moving to entertainment marketing. Larry spent the next 15 years working with a long list of corporate clients, including CBS, Nickelodeon, Lever Brothers, HBO, Kraft Foods, Universal Studio Tours and others. Larry's relationship with Express Scripts began when the company retained the services of the consulting firm he headed from 1991 to 1996.
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