Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Announces Executive Promotions

New Roles Position the Company for Continued Growth

SAN FRANCISCO--()--Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) today announced several strategic organizational changes to position the company for continued growth. The announcements were made by Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Chief Marketing Officer Pat Connolly will assume the position of Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer. In this role, Mr. Connolly will work closely with senior management to refine the company’s long-term strategy, including the development of new businesses, and the evaluation and execution of acquisitions and alliances that can provide significant growth. Ms. Alber commented, “Pat has devoted the past thirty-five years to building the company’s multi-channel strategy and has been a driving force in our e-commerce growth. In this role, Pat will combine his knowledge of the company, as well as the investment and venture communities to identify opportunities with significant potential that leverage our core competencies. Pat will also oversee all corporate communications, including continuing to partner with Chief Financial Officer Julie Whalen on investor relations activities. Mr. Connolly commented, “I am excited to work with our outstanding leadership team to identify and capitalize on opportunities that can further enhance shareholder value.”

Chief Information Officer John Strain has been promoted to the position of Chief Digital and Technology Officer. In this new role, Mr. Strain will assume additional responsibility for the company’s digital and direct marketing efforts. “John’s proven track record as CIO over the past 8 years, and his almost two decades of experience in e-commerce technology will enable us to further integrate the rapid developments in digital technology into every aspect of our business,” commented Ms. Alber.

Felix Carbullido has been promoted to the position of Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding Mr. Connolly and reporting to Mr. Strain. “Felix brings a broad range of experiences across merchandising, e-commerce, and executive management to this position. Felix is a proven leader, under whom the Pottery Barn direct business has become one of the largest and most profitable in the U.S. In his new position, Felix will oversee the marketing across all our brands,” commented Mr. Strain.

Dean Miller has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer. “Over the past 14 years, Dean has added significant value to the company in a number of positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, as Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dean led the company’s vertical integration efforts in sourcing, the development of its domestic upholstered manufacturing operations, its global logistics network, and the regionalization of the company’s U.S. distribution network. This promotion recognizes the significant contributions that Dean has made, and the importance of all aspects of our supply chain in providing the best quality service to our customers,” said Ms. Alber.

Ms. Alber concluded, “We believe that the changes we are announcing today reflect the strength of our talented and tenured management team and our ability to leverage this talent to continue to grow our businesses globally, increase market share, and provide outstanding quality, value, and service to our customers.”

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing eight distinct merchandise strategies – Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham – are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct mail catalogs and 589 stores. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. currently operates in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offers international shipping to customers worldwide, and has unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East and the Philippines.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements related to the expectations for our newly-promoted executives and our growth opportunities. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include the risk that we are not able to execute our growth strategies as planned. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2014 and all subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contacts

WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Patrick J. Connolly, (415) 616-8746
EVP, Chief Strategy and
Business Development Officer

Contacts

WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Patrick J. Connolly, (415) 616-8746
EVP, Chief Strategy and
Business Development Officer