Perry Ellis appoints Jane DeFlorio as Independent Director

Perry Ellis International has appointed Jane DeFlorio, a seasoned investment banker and former Managing Director in the US Retail and Consumer Group at Deutsche Bank Securities, as the company's Independent Director on Board, effective December 12, 2014. The appointment of DeFlorio follows the decision by Gary Dix, a Director of Perry Ellis, to retire from the Board following more than 20 years of dedicated service. DeFlorio will serve on the Audit and Investment Committees and serve as a member of the class of directors to be elected at the 2016 annual meeting of shareholders.

George Feldenkreis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Perry Ellis International said, “On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to welcome Jane and express my deep appreciation to Gary Dix for his unwavering dedication and service to Perry Ellis over the past 20 years.”

Joseph Lacher, Lead Independent Director of Perry Ellis International and Chair of the Board's nominating committee added saying, “Jane is a respected business leader and a trusted advisor who brings to Perry Ellis extensive experience advising mid and large cap retail and fashion clients with respect to value enhancement strategies, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and product and market expansion initiatives.”

With this transition, the Board will continue to comprise seven directors, five of whom are independent, and three of whom have joined the Perry Ellis Board within the last year, including J. David Scheiner and Alexandra Wilson. Scheiner is a veteran retailer with over 35 years of experience in senior roles at major retailers such as Macy's Florida/Puerto Rico, where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer from which he retired in 2009. Wilson is a Co-Founder of Gilt, the innovative online shopping destination, and brings to the board a proven track record in marketing and brand building and extensive insight in growing e-commerce sites and executing on innovative marketing and direct-to-consumer initiatives.

DeFlorio currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee at The New School University, a leading progressive university in New York City. She also serves on the Board of Governors for The Parsons School of Design. From 2007 to 2013, DeFlorio served as a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank in the US Retail and Consumer Group. While at Deutsche Bank, Ms. DeFlorio covered a range of mid to large cap retail clients, including The TJX Companies, Home Depot and Nike. Prior to her role at Deutsche Bank, she held the title of Executive Director in the Investment Banking Consumer and Retail Group at UBS Investment Bank and advised on high-profile consumer transactions for clients such as Kraft Foods and Maidenform Brands.