CHICAGO -- Hess Print Solutions, a provider of accountable print performance solutions and other value-added services for catalogs, books, publications and educational printed products, announced today that it has named Douglas L. Mann, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Mann is a twenty-year veteran of the printing, direct marketing and advertising industry and most recently was with Vertis Communication where he was senior vice president of operations.

Mr. Mann has led successful turnarounds and integrations, transforming companies into world-class organizations. At Vertis, he was instrumental in the development of market leading operating plans with the execution of strategic and tactical initiatives that led to implementation of lean six sigma practices, substantial sales growth, and margin improvement.

Carl M. Stanton, a Managing Partner of Wellspring Capital, Hess’s majority shareholder, said, “Doug is a seasoned industry executive with experience building companies into industry-leading organizations. We are delighted to welcome him to Hess Print Solutions, as he has the skills, experience and energy to take the company to its next stage of development.”

Mr. Mann said, “I am excited to join Hess Print Solutions, which is poised for growth with a strong business model and a diverse customer base. I look forward to working with the Hess management team and Wellspring to continue building a competitive, successful printing company.”

Mr. Mann succeeds Michael O. Duffield who is retiring as Chief Executive Officer and who will remain a member of the company’s board of directors.

Mr. Stanton said: “We thank Mike for his many important contributions to Hess Print Solutions, which he leaves well-positioned to increase its market share in several key markets such as education and catalogs. We are pleased that Mike will help ensure a smooth transition and remain on our board.”

Prior to joining Vertis, Mr. Mann was group vice president sales and marketing, and president of Minneapolis Offset, where he developed and implemented a comprehensive value-added sales and marketing strategy for five companies. Mr. Mann also held senior management roles at a number of document management, digital and screen printing companies. Mr. Mann graduated with BS in Business Administration from the University of Vermont.