Citing the need to “keep pace with the speed at which our business is moving,” Comfort Solutions President Dave Roberts has announced major changes to the mattress licensing group’s executive management team.
Cindy Williams
Industry veteran Cindy Williams has been appointed senior vice president of marketing and Owen Shoemaker has been named senior vice president of product development and merchandising. Both new positions report to Roberts.
“This important reorganization divides management responsibilities for product innovation and marketing, while allowing us to significantly increase the focus and intensity in each of those areas,” said Roberts, who also serves as chief operating officer of the Willowbrook, Ill.-based company.
Owen Shoemaker
In her new post, Williams leads all marketing and marketing communication programs for Comfort Solutions’ brands and products. Previously, Williams was vice president of client services for Info Retail Inc., an Atlanta-based retail strategy and design agency, which she joined in 2003. She began her mattress industry career in 1991 with Simmons, where she served in several sales capacities before her promotion to national sales manager of the specialty sleep division. Williams also has held positions with International Bedding Corp. and worked for England Furniture, an independent division of La-Z-Boy, to establish a bedding division.
“Cindy is an experienced, top-notch executive who will not only expand our marketing capabilities but also better position us to achieve our strategic objectives in 2012 and into the future,” Roberts said.
Shoemaker joined Comfort Solutions in 2009 and has served as senior vice president of marketing and product development. In his new role, he leads the company’s efforts in product innovation, design and merchandising. He also is responsible for international business development.
“With his expertise in sleep science, diagnostics and human physiology—combined with his strong marketing experience—Owen is well positioned to correlate product design and performance with marketing viability,” Roberts said. “He also will have new opportunities to study developments and innovations among our international licensees and in overseas markets, which will advance both our corporate objectives and our business.”
