Target exec to lead Product of the Year jury

NEW YORK Jen Klise, group manager of corporate innovation at Target, has been named jury chair for the inaugural Product of the Year Awards in the United States.

Klise will lead the review of hundreds of products with fellow industry leaders in New York on Sept. 18. The finalists selected by the jury will then be reviewed by U.S. consumers and the winners will be revealed at the Product of the Year awards ceremony in January 2009.

"An award like Product of the Year that focuses on high quality and innovation is a critical element in our saturated consumer marketplace," said Klise. "By empowering consumers to select the best products, Product of the Year provides a critical service to consumers--seeing the Product of the Year logo on a product is a clear determination that the product has excelled compared to other brands."