Long-time fashion exec to head Nine West Direct

NEW YORK -- The Jones Group Inc. announced that it has appointed Sally Ross EVP merchandising for Nine West Direct, effective immediately. Ross' focus will be on leading the merchandise initiatives for Nine West Retail, Nine West Outlet and NineWest.com, and she will report directly to Ron Offir, President, Jones Direct Group, the company reported.

"We are excited to be welcoming Sally to the Jones team," said Richard Dickson, president and CEO of branded businesses at The Jones Group. "Sally's breadth of experience in the industry is an important addition to Jones' expanding merchant talent. Her proven judgment, aptitude in managing and growing businesses and ability to identify future fashion trends will be essential in positioning Nine West's role as the premier destination of fashion footwear for our target consumers."

In her role as EVP merchandising for Nine West Direct, Ross will oversee the merchandising, planning and allocations teams of the different Nine West businesses.

Most recently, Ross was VP divisional merchandise manager at Bergdorf Goodman, where she was responsible for the women's footwear business, significantly increasing the sales volume in the footwear division during her six-year tenure. Previously, she was director of merchandising at Liz Claiborne Inc. for Lucky Brand and Liz Claiborne Fashion Accessories, where she was responsible for executing the brands' global merchandising strategy. Ross began her career at Bergdorf Goodman as a buyer for women's accessories and moved up the ranks in various senior merchandising roles at The Gap, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Inc. and Club Monaco.