Item Group Expands Senior Management TeamAugust 21, 2007 —
Item Group Expands Senior Management Team
Providence, RI –August 21, 2007 –Item Group has announced the appointments of Darren Abrams, William Stetter and Lara Peterson to its corporate management team. The three business professionals bring many years of high level experience in strategy, finance and product development to the fast growing product design and development firm. As Chief Operating Officer of Item Group, Darren Abrams will be responsible for the expansion and continued success of the three individual companies operating under Item Group: Item New Product Development, Innovation Chain Partners (ICP) and Ximedica. Abrams was promoted from within Item Group, most recently serving as the General Manager of ICP and before that, Director of Research and Strategy for Item. “His tenure within Item Group gives him a unique view into our history and where we are going next. Darren has developed a deep understanding of our design and manufacturing model and now he will bring his expertise to all the Item Group companies”, commented Stephen Lane, Item Group Co-Founder and CEO. Prior to Item, Abrams held senior positions in brand and product marketing as well as management consulting. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Bryant University. Lara Peterson is the new General Manager of ICP, an Item Group company that works directly with leading national retailers as a one stop source of product innovation for private brands. Peterson comes from The Holmes Group, bringing over 15 years of experience in identifying consumer needs, defining and developing new products and building consumer and commercial brands. As Director of Marketing for Food Storage at Holmes, Peterson was responsible for all aspects of product development and marketing, leading to over $190 million in sales. Peterson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Advertising from Indiana University School of Business. Item Group also named William Stetter as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the ongoing strategic planning and financial growth of the three operating companies. Stetter was recently CFO of Heartlab, a venture-backed cardiology software business that was acquired by Agfa-Gevaert. He has more than 20 years experience in strategic planning, systems implementation, treasury, budgeting, financial and tax reporting. He is a CPA and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and an MBA from New York University. ### About Item Group For over 20 years, Item has secured more than 100 patents and launched hundreds of commercially successful products ranging from medical devices and consumer products to commercial equipment. Client companies include Boston Scientific, Discovery Channel, Gerber, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Bacou Dalloz, Thule, Titleist, and numerous others. Item Group and its subsidiaries, Item New Product Development, Innovation Chain Partners and Ximedica, are headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island with offices in Hong Kong. For more information visit www.itemnpd.com or www.ximedica.com. |
