Direct Group Names Kam Kamerschen To Board of Directors
Press release from the issuing company
Pennington, N.J. – Feb. 20, 2007 – Direct Group, a full-service provider of high-volume direct marketing services, announced today that Robert “Kam” Kamerschen has been appointed to its Board of Directors. Kamerschen has more than 40 years of senior executive and board leadership experience, and is a widely recognized multichannel marketing and postal industry expert. He served 11 years as Chairman and CEO of ADVO, Inc., the nation’s leading direct mail media company, and is also an experienced outside director of several public and private companies.
Kamerschen is known for his keen ability to align companies with client/customer needs, and his expertise in bringing traditional and online direct marketing communications and database solutions to both consumer and B2B market clients. In his leadership role at ADVO, Kamerschen upgraded personnel, processes and productivity, while also putting in place a strategic plan that drove company growth. His efforts resulted in significant market share gains and an approximate 13-fold increase in total shareholder return for the company.
Kamerschen is the first two-time winner of the Postmaster General's “Partnership for Progress” award, the most prestigious award given by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to suppliers. He received the award first in 1992 for his successful chairmanship of the Competitive Services Task Force, a USPS and mailing industry collaborative effort to enhance the USPS’ competitive fitness. In 1997, Kamerschen was awarded the distinction again for his service on the USPS’ Blue Ribbon Committee. He also received the Lee Epstein Award from the Association for Postal Commerce for his contributions to the mailing community.
“We are honored to have Kam join our board,” said Don McKenzie, Direct Group President and CEO, who has worked with Kamerschen in the management of two other companies. “As one of the most highly regarded leaders in our industry, he brings
unmatched expertise in multichannel communication, as well as postal planning and optimization strategies. With another postal increase approaching in May, his knowledge in this area – as well as his corporate and board leadership experience – will significantly benefit our clients and our organization.”
Kamerschen added: “Direct Group has become a leader in the direct marketing industry through smart investments, comprehensive service offerings for clients, and strong management. I look forward to helping the company maximize ROI for clients through enhanced targeting and personalized communication techniques – as well as postage and logistics solutions – all of which will help Direct Group solidify its leadership position in the direct marketing services industry.”
Kamerschen has held leadership roles at a number of other companies in both sales- and marketing-driven industries. Most recently, he served as CEO of DIMAC, Inc., where he engineered the successful sale of this privately held direct marketing services company. Earlier in his career, he was president and CEO of Max Factor, Inc., and president of Chanel Inc. and Christian Dior Parfums, Inc. He has also held senior executive positions with RKO/Six Flags Entertainment, Marketing Corporation of America and Norton Simon, Inc., a conglomerate where he was responsible for five companies: Hunt Wesson Foods, Max Factor, Halston Enterprises, McCall Pattern Company and United Can. His background also includes senior marketing executive assignments at Scott Paper Company, Dunkin’ Donuts and Revlon.
Kamerschen currently serves on the Board of Directors of IMS Health, R.H. Donnelley, Vertrue and MDC Partners, as well as a number of private equity companies. His previous corporate directorships include Linens n’ Things; Synavant, Inc.; Maxxcom, Inc.; Coolsavings, Inc.; Micrografx, Inc.; Six Flags Corporation; RadioShack Corp.; Electrolux, Inc.; MECA Software, Inc.; Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company; and Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
In addition to awards from the postal industry, Kamerschen received the 10th anniversary corporate executive award from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children due to his involvement with ADVO’s “America's Looking For Its Missing Children®” program, the most successful private-sector program of its kind. Kamerschen is a Dean’s Associate at the Miami University (Ohio) School of Business, and also has lectured at a number of leading business schools. He holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from Miami University (Ohio).