The Jones Group Inc. appointed Sally Ross executive vice president of merchandising for Nine West Direct, effective immediately. Ross' focus will be on leading the merchandise initiatives for Nine West Retail, Nine West Outlet and NineWest.com, and she will report directly to Ron Offir, president, Jones Direct Group.

“We are excited to be welcoming Sally to the Jones team,” said Richard Dickson, president and chief executive officer of Branded Businesses at The Jones Group.  “Sally's breadth of experience in the industry is an important addition to Jones' expanding merchant talent.  Her proven judgment, aptitude in managing and growing businesses and ability to identify future fashion trends will be essential in positioning Nine West's role as the premier destination of fashion footwear for our target consumers.” 

In her role as Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Nine West Direct, Ross will oversee the merchandising, planning and allocations teams of the different Nine West businesses to deliver significant growth and profitability to the Nine West brand and bring compelling and fresh experiences to customers. 

Ross brings over 20 years of experience in accessories merchandising from the world's leading retailers to The Jones Group.  Most recently, Ross was Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager at Bergdorf Goodman, where she was responsible for the women's footwear business, significantly increasing the sales volume in the footwear division during her six year tenure.  Previously, Ross was Director of Merchandising at Liz Claiborne Inc. for Lucky Brand and Liz Claiborne Fashion Accessories, where she was responsible for executing the brands' global merchandising strategy.  Ross began her career at Bergdorf Goodman as a buyer for women's accessories and moved up the ranks in various senior merchandising roles at The Gap, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Inc. and Club Monaco.