ITASCA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enesco, LLC, the leading global designer, producer and marketer of branded giftware, plush toys and home and garden décor, today announced the appointment of Molly C. Kinney as President of Department 56, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enesco, effective September 30, 2013.
Ms. Kinney replaces Susan Azar who recently announced her departure after a very successful decade of leadership at Department 56. Commenting on Sue Azar’s departure, Tom Bowles, Chief Executive Officer of Enesco, said, “We are very sad that Sue has decided to leave the business but understand and appreciate her desire to spend more time with her family. We thank Sue for the legacy she is leaving us and for all that she has done for Department 56 and Enesco.”
Regarding Ms. Kinney’s appointment, Tom Bowles said, “We are delighted to have Molly join our Enesco team to head Department 56. She brings a very strong and unique skill set including business management, creative design and development, global sourcing, customer relationships and leadership. She has tremendous respect for the heritage of the Department 56 brand, its loyal customers, and the company’s prominent position in the marketplace.”
Ms. Kinney added, “Department 56 is a great company led by an incredibly passionate team. I look forward to working with all of our talented artists, merchants and marketers to serve the interests of our outstanding customers and to define and cultivate our continued growth.”
Ms. Kinney has over 20 years experience in the home and giftware space. She spent a decade at Cole River Co. as the founder and president of a prestigious, boutique wholesale brand. After successfully exiting Cole River in 2010, she did significant product work for Midwest-CBK, Target and most recently Blu Dot Design and Manufacturing, Inc. Prior to establishing Cole River, Kinney served as Director of Asia-Pacific Marketing for Mary Kay Inc. in Dallas, and for Kamsky Associates in New York, worked in U.S.-China business consulting.
Ms. Kinney has a BA from Santa Clara University, a Masters in International Business and China Studies from Columbia University in New York, and completed Chinese Language Studies at Cheng Kong University in Taiwan.
About Enesco, LLC
Enesco, LLC is a global leader in the giftware and home and garden décor industries serving more than 30,000 customers worldwide. Enesco’s products include some of the world’s most recognizable brands in its trading space including: Department 56 Villages, The Grinch, Peanuts, Disney, Dr. Seuss, Snowbabies, Possible Dreams, Gund Teddy Bears, Sesame Street, Boyd’s Bears, Jim Shore’s Disney Traditions and many others. Enesco distributes its products to a wide variety of specialty card and gift retailers, home décor boutiques, department stores as well as large national chains and direct mail retailers. For more information, visit www.Enesco.com.
About Department 56
Department 56 is a wholly owned subsidiary of Enesco, LLC specializing in collectibles, giftware and holiday home décor. The company is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Department 56 products can be found in more than 4,000 retail outlets including gift, specialty, floral, toy, book and department stores. For more information, visit www.Department56.com.
