Fashion footwear designer company Steven Madden Ltd announced the appointment of Awadhesh Sinha to the position of Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1, 2005. Richard Olicker, who has served as both President and Chief Operating Officer since September 2001, will continue in his role as President of Steven Madden, Ltd.
Mr. Sinha has been a director of the Company since October 2002. In his new management role at Steven Madden, Ltd., Mr. Sinha will be responsible for improving operating efficiencies across all the Company's divisions. He will report directly to Jamieson Karson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sinha will step down from the Nominating/Corporate Governance and Audit Committees of the Board, effective immediately.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the apparel business, Mr. Sinha has particular expertise in managing all operating aspects of both wholesale and retail businesses. Most recently, Mr. Sinha served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of WEAR ME Apparel Inc, a company that designs, manufactures, and markets branded and non-branded children's clothing.
Prior to joining WEAR ME, he worked for Salant Corporation, a company that designs, manufactures, and markets men's clothing including brands such as Perry Ellis, Ocean Pacific, Axis, and Tricots St. Raphael as well as its own private label brands.
At Salant, Mr. Sinha held various positions including those of Chief Operating Officerand Chief Financial Officer and was involved in overall finance, operations, licensing, and SEC and regulatory compliance. Before Salant, Mr. Sinha held various financial and management positions with US Industries and Halston Enterprises.