Furniture Brands names chief marketer

ST. LOUIS, Mo. Furniture Brands International today announced that Alexander Hodges has been named chief marketing officer, effective today.

Ralph Scozzafava, vice chairman of the board and ceo of Furniture Brands, commented, "Building our brands and winning with the consumer are both critical elements of our strategic plan. In this newly created role as chief marketing officer, Alex will work with the talented and experienced marketing leaders at our brands to drive brand equity in the marketplace and to build our brand franchisees. This coordinated effort will also enable us to work more closely with our retail partners to enhance our presence in the marketplace."

Hodges most recently served as vp of Marketing for Russell Athletic, leading all marketing and retail merchandising operations for that division. Before joining Russell, he served in roles of increasing responsibility at Eastman Kodak, and prior to that at SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline).