Business
Academy Sports + Outdoors Announces Appointment of Beryl B. Raff and Other Changes to Board of Directors
KATY, Texas, May 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. ("Academy") (NASDAQ: ASO) announced today, effective immediately, the appointments
About this update from Academy Sports And Outdoors, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"KATY, Texas, May 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (\"Academy\") (NASDAQ: ASO) announced today, effective immediately, the appointments of Beryl B. Raff to its Board of Directors (the \"Board\") and Compensation Committee and Wendy A. Beck, currently a member of the Board and its Audit Committee, as a member and chairperson of the Nominating & Governance Committee. Academy also announced today that Vishal V. Patel and Aileen X. Yan, both designees of affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (\"KKR\"), have resigned from the Board, effective immediately, following a reduction in KKR's holdings in Academy through a secondary public offering that closed today. As a result of these changes, Academy's Board now comprises nine directors, including six independent directors. \n\"We are very fortunate to welcome Beryl, who brings a wealth of retail and leadership experience, to our Board,\" said Ken C. Hicks, Academy Chairman, President and CEO. \"Beryl is a highly respected executive and seasoned board member with a proven track record of success over her career. Additionally, as a result of today's changes, we are pleased to report that Academy's Board of Directors is now comprised of a majority of independent directors.\" \nMs. Raff, age 70, has spent over forty years in the retail industry developing her merchandising, senior executive management and board membership experience. Ms. Raff has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Helzberg Diamonds, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., since 2009. Before joining Helzberg Diamonds, from 2001 to 2009, Ms. Raff held senior merchandising positions with J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (\"JC Penney\"), most recently as Executive Vice President and General Merchandise Manager, where she was responsible for the day to day operation of the fine jewelry business and served on its Executive Board, which determined strategic direction and initiatives for JC Penney. Prior to JC Penney, Ms. Raff also was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Zale Corporation and held senior merchant positions at R. H. Macy & Company. Currently, Ms. Raff serves on the Board of Directors of Helen of Troy, Ltd., including on its Audit Committee and formerly on its Compensation Committee, and on the Board of Directors of Larry H. Miller Company, including on its ...