Susan Towers Appointed VP Marketing & Communications at Material ConneXion and Culture & Commerce, Inc.
New York, NY, September 22st, 2011 — Material ConneXion, Inc., the leading global materials consultancy with the largest library of innovative materials in the world, and its sister company, Culture & Commerce Inc., the premier design management firm in the U.S., has announced the appointment of Susan Towers to the position of VP Marketing & Communications for both companies, part of Sandow Media Corporation. “Susan’s breadth of experience and amazing network will be a major asset in continuing Material ConneXion’s synergistic development and strategic communications objectives,” said Michele Caniato, President of Material Connexion and Culture & Commerce. “Her expertise in PR, branding and design, her international background, and her diverse experience make her an ideal candidate for this role”, he added.
As part of her role, she will oversee branding, marketing, strategic communications and provide senior executive counsel for both businesses. Towers brings over twenty years of international experience in marketing, communications and publishing to the role. Prior to joining Material ConneXion and Culture & Commerce, she was a partner in NICE Partners, a strategic marketing, communications and brand strategy consultancy where she worked with leading brands, retailers, designers and private equity partners. Previously, Towers held senior global PR and marketing roles at (among others) Kiehl’s since 1851 (a division of L’Oréal USA), and Chandelier Creative. Earlier in her career, she held a variety of positions in publishing in London and after moving to New York, she worked at Time Inc.’s Fortune magazine, as well as the renowned creative agency and publisher, Assouline, where she was EVP of marketing. In addition to building the company’s work with major luxury and lifestyle brands at the boutique firm, she managed significant branding projects in luxury real estate, working with some of the leading names in architecture, interior design and property development. “I am delighted to be taking on this new role,” said Towers, adding, “The intersection of design and business represents the greatest opportunity for growth in today’s marketplace.”
“Susan’s design experience, marketing prowess and passion for developing innovative strategies makes her a perfect partner to take our communications to the next level,” said Adam Sandow, CEO of Sandow Media Corporation, the parent company of both Material ConneXion and Culture & Commerce.
The appointment comes on the heels of Material ConneXion’s announcement that it will open 10 Material Libraries throughout China by 2017, beginning with Beijing in October 2011 and Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2012. This year, the company will also launch a new online Materials Database.
About Material ConneXion
Material ConneXion (materialconnexion.com) is a global materials consultancy that helps companies innovate through smart materials thinking. Built on the belief that Every Idea Has A Material Solution™, Material ConneXion is the trusted advisor to Fortune 500s, smaller forward-thinking companies, and government agencies seeking a creative, competitive, or sustainable edge through strategic material selections. With offices in New York, Bangkok, Cologne, Daegu (Korea), Istanbul and Milan, Material ConneXion's international network of specialists provides a global, cross-industry perspective on materials and their potential uses. Material ConneXion maintains the largest subscription-based Materials Library of innovative materials and processes in the world—an indispensable asset to a wide audience of designers and architects and a vital tool for the development of design, industry and economy.
About Culture & Commerce, Inc.
Culture & Commerce (culturecommerce.com) is a strategic design consultancy that develops high potential design opportunities for global brands and international designers. Built on the belief that "good design is good business", Culture & Commerce helps companies leverage design as a critical strategic platform for launching products and services, differentiating brands, generating revenues and delivering profits. As the premier design management agency in the U.S., Culture & Commerce represents some of the world's leading designers including Dror Benshetrit, Yves Behar, Milton Glaser, Sami Hayek, Piero Lissoni, Paola Navone, Matthew Rolston, Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders. Culture & Commerce has developed profitable projects in a wide range of industries—from consumer products and housewares to furniture and hospitality—for companies such as Microsoft, PUMA, Target, MAC, Rosenthal, Alessi, Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, SBE Entertainment, and the Morgans Hotel Group, among others. The company also provides marketing and communications support for both the projects it develops and to individual clients on an ongoing and project basis.
About Sandow
Founded by Adam I. Sandow in 2002, Sandow (sandow.com) is a leader in building multichannel, vertically integrated brands from inception to execution in both the physical and digital realms. The company’s foundation is built on indispensable, influential resources including key platforms that include brand and product development, marketing services, print and digital consumer and trade media, franchise events, conferences and tradeshows. Sandow’s flagship brands include the powerhouse beauty brand NewBeauty; Worth, the business and finance magazine for the ultra-affluent; Luxe Interiors + Design, the nation’s largest network of luxury design magazines; Interior Design, the iconic publication serving the interior design industry; Surface magazine, the American voice of the contemporary luxury design world; and Furniture Today’s group of publications. Sandow is the founder of AccessLab, an experiential and event marketing company, which includes Gen Art, the beloved organization that engages consumer audiences and aligns brands organically with emerging talent in film, fashion, music and art. Sandow has more than 400 employees with offices in New York, Florida, Los Angeles and North Carolina.
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Press Contact: Gabriella Vivaldi
gvivaldi@materialconnexion.com / (+ 1) 212-842-1679
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