Gap Inc. Appoints New Chief Financial Officer to Start in January 2017

Gap Inc.(NYSE: GPS) today announced the appointment of Teri List-Stoll as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective January 17, 2017. List-Stoll will report to Gap Inc. chief executive officer Art Peck and will serve on the company’s senior leadership team

“Teri is a seasoned finance leader with more than three decades experience, including top leadership positions at global consumer goods companies,” said Peck. “As we remain focused on accelerating our transformation, Teri’s expertise will help us drive our long-term financial objectives and continue our commitment to long-term shareholder value.”

List-Stoll will succeed Sabrina Simmons, whose departure was previously announced on November 2, 2016, and will have oversight of the company’s global finance function, as well as loss prevention and corporate administration divisions. Once List-Stoll joins Gap Inc. in mid-January, Simmons will shift into an advisory role through the end of the company’s fiscal year.

“I have tremendous respect for the brands in Gap Inc.’s global portfolio, and I am excited to join the company during a time of transformative change,” said List-Stoll. “I look forward to continuing Gap Inc.’s commitment to a strong balance sheet and operating discipline and supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy.”

Most recently, List-Stoll held the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer for Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Previously, she served in senior finance roles, including chief financial officer for Kraft Foods Group, Inc. List-Stoll spent almost two decades growing her career at The Procter & Gamble Company, where she ultimately served as senior vice president and treasurer. She began her career at Deloitte & Touche LLP.

List-Stoll serves on the board of directors and audit committees for Microsoft and Danaher. She received her B.A. in Business Administration from Northern Michigan University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

“Gene Davis: Hot Beat” at The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Nov. 18 – April 2, 2017

Gene Davis, Raspberry Icicle, 1967, acrylic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase

With no more than a rectangular canvas and multicolor stripes, Gene Davis (1920–1985), considered a leader of the Washington Color School, created a richly varied body of work that looks as fresh today as it did when it first was shown. He is best known for his paintings of brightly colored stripes that were remarkably original when they first appeared in the 1960s. The large size of his canvases requires a viewer to consider the relationships and rhythms of color over time, more like a musical composition than the pop art images that emerged at the same time.

Gene Davis, Flower Machine, 1964, magna, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Florence Coulson Davis

Gene Davis, Peeping Wall, 1960, magna, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Florence Coulson Davis

Gene Davis, Limelight/Sounds of Grass, 1960, magna, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Florence Coulson Davis

Gene Davis, Hot Beat, 1964, acrylic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Woodward Foundation

This selection of 15 classic stripe paintings by Davis in “Gene Davis: Hot Beat” from the 1960s reveals the ambitious vision and accomplishment of this Color Field artist. A number of the paintings are nearly 20 feet wide—including “Dr. Peppercorn,” “Raspberry Icicle” and “Red Witch”—and have not been seen publicly in decades. Commentaries about the artworks will be written by Jean Lawlor Cohen, consulting curator for the exhibition and long-time friend of the artist. Virginia Mecklenburg, chief curator, and Joann Moser, former deputy chief curator, selected the artworks on display.

Johnnie Walker Announces Keep Walking America Campaign, Celebrating Cultural Progress And Diversity In America

“This Land Is Your Land, This Land Was Made For You And Me”

“This Land Is Your Land,” the iconic song and rallying cry for American unification penned by Woodie Guthrie, is at the heart of Johnnie Walker’s new Keep Walking America campaign. After what was undeniably the most racially divisive presidential election in recent history, it’s safe to say that we all need to remember and get back to celebrating what America should stand for, not what this election represented to the eyes of the world—and our fellow Americans.

Johnnie Walker celebrates cultural progress and diversity in America with new campaign Keep Walking America (Photo: Merie Weismiller Wallace).

For more than 200 years, Johnnie Walker has inspired the world with stories of personal progress and Keep Walking America is another powerful collection of stories reflecting the countless achievements, unwavering optimism and tireless progression of the great people who call America home.

The new 360 marketing campaign, which premiered nationally on November 7th with a 60-second TV spot created by Anomaly and directed by Chris Sargent of Anonymous Content, celebrates the cultural progress and diversity that represents the fabric of America today. The lyrics of “This Land Is Your Land,” read in both English and Spanish, serve as the campaign’s anthem. The meaning behind the lyrics powerfully communicate the core message that America has always been and should always remain an inclusive nation, built on values that celebrate and reward people from all colors and creeds. The film was shot over two weeks and features real storylines of progress from Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Montana, New Orleans, Baltimore, New York and Washington DC.

Johnnie Walker celebrates cultural progress and diversity in America with new campaign Keep Walking America (Photo: Merie Weismiller Wallace).

The message of Keep Walking America is supported by a variety of initiatives on a national and global level, each calling for a united, more open-minded society that can be a catalyst for progress and positive change. The brand recently traveled to Brownsville, Texas, a U.S.-Mexico border town, with celebrated actor, director and activist Wilmer Valderrama, to spotlight the rich community of cross-cultural Americans living in proximity to the border and to hear their personal stories of progress. This initiative mirrors recent global work from Colombia, which shared a message of unification during the ongoing peace treaty negotiations, and the brand’s Ode to Lesvos storyline, a deeply moving film series that sheds light on a community in Greece that has shown heroism and humanity during the Syrian refugee crisis.

The ‘Scottish Affair’ cocktail crafted using Johnnie Walker Black Label developed by Gabe Orta, National Ambassador of new mixology-focused program Flavors of America (Photo: Shannon Sturg

Stephanie Jacoby, Vice President of Johnnie Walker North America stated, “We are extremely honored to continue taking a pioneering role in culture by championing and celebrating progress. Keep Walking America brings to life stories of cultural progress and diversity, and we hope this campaign inspires people to come together for a better future.”

Motor Trend Announces Its 2017 Motor Trend Awards “OF The Year” Winners

Car Of The Year, Truck Of The Year, Suv Of The Year, And Person Of The Year Announced During Motor Trend Awards Live Ceremony And Webcast In Los Angeles

MOTOR TREND announced the Motor Trend Awards winners of the Golden Calipers for Car of the Year, Truck of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Person of the Year during a red carpet ceremony. An audience of industry executives and celebrity guests celebrated the winners at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The awards show was streamed live on the Motor Trend OnDemand SVOD service, YouTube, and the MOTOR TREND website. An OnDemand replay is available, which features award content, including complete details on the contenders, finalists, and winners, and a replay of the event broadcast.

“What an exceptional night to honor the best of the best in the industry,” says Edward Loh, editor-in-chief of MOTOR TREND. “We are honored to present this year’s coveted Car of the Year, Truck of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Person of the Year to some of the most well-deserving and innovative recipients we have had yet.”

The cover of the January 2017 Issue of MOTOR TREND Magazine (Courtesy of MOTOR TREND and TEN: The Enthusiast Network)

This year’s finalists were evaluated against six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. Judges for each program came from the MOTOR TREND staff but also included two special guest judges for Car of the Year (legendary car designer Tom Gale and product development guru Chris Theodore) and one special guest judge for SUV of the Year (sales and marketing veteran Mike Accavitti). The Person of the Year was chosen from MOTOR TREND’s annual Power List of the automotive industry’s 50 most influential people.

2017 MOTOR TREND Car of the Year Winner: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

For only the second time in the awards’ seven decades, the sound of electrical energy being converted into motion and the sound of the automotive world shifting on its axis convinced the MOTOR TREND judges to select the Chevrolet Bolt EV as this year’s Car of the Year winner.

2017 MOTOR TREND Car of the Year Winner: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV (PRNewsFoto/TEN: The Enthusiast Network)

The Bolt EV was the first battery-powered vehicle to be conceived by General Motors to be a viable, affordable, mass-market, game-changing electric car, and just two numbers show why. The EPA has certified the Bolt EV will travel 238 miles on a full charge, and it costs only $29,995 after taking into consideration a $7,500 federal tax rebate.

Following a week of testing at the Hyundai-Kia Motors California Proving Ground, the MOTOR TREND judges found, “the most impressive thing about the Bolt EV is that there are no caveats and no ‘for an electric car’ qualifiers needed in any discussion. It is, simply, a world-class small car, and that’s before you factor in the benefits inherent in the smoothness, silence, and instant-on torque provided by the electric motor.”

In awarding the Bolt EV its Car Of The Year status, Angus MacKenzie, International Bureau Chief for TEN: The Enthusiast Network, calls this year’s winner a “roomy, practical, quiet, and comfortable compact hatchback; an energy-efficient small car; and a benchmark electric vehicle—all in one.”

2017 MOTOR TREND Truck of the Year Winner: 2017 Ford Super Duty

Out of this year’s three impressive finalists tested at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Arizona proving ground, the MOTOR TREND judges named the 2017 Ford Super Duty MOTOR TREND’s 2017 Truck of the Year winner.

2017 MOTOR TREND Truck of the Year Winner: 2017 Ford Super Duty (PRNewsFoto/TEN: The Enthusiast Network)

The Ford Super Duty remains cool under extreme pressure, regardless of the circumstances. The design as a whole advances the direction of the previous generation without losing or abandoning its signature look or deviating from the consumer mission. The judges were extremely impressed with the performance of the F-350 dual-rear-wheel diesel as, despite weighing in at 8,643 pounds, it returned an outstanding 16.3/20.5/18.0 mpg city/highway/combined. The Super Duty’s ability to extend blind-spot detection to cover a trailer adds an important layer of safety, as does the ability to monitor six trailer tires’ pressures and the trailer lights on the dashboard.

2017 MOTOR TREND Truck of the Year Winner: 2017 Ford Super Duty (PRNewsFoto/TEN: The Enthusiast Network)

“With its latest Super Duty, Ford has set new benchmarks for capability and functionality. We have no doubt the competition will race to meet Ford’s new standard,” says MOTOR TREND Associate Editor Scott Evans.

2017 MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year Winner: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC

Mercedes-Benz SUVs are no strangers to the MOTOR TREND Of the Year awards. This year, the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC becomes the fourth Mercedes-Benz SUV to win the Golden Calipers as the MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year winner.

2017 MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year Winner: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC (PRNewsFoto/TEN: The Enthusiast Network)

U.S. News & World Report Releases the 2017 Best Cruise Lines Rankings

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today announced the 2017 Best Cruise Lines rankings, evaluating 15 top cruise lines across six categories. Twenty-four million passengers are expected to take a cruise this year and interest continues to climb. The rankings help travelers select the best cruise by brand, region, itinerary and budget.

U.S. News & World Report Logo. (PRNewsFoto/U.S. News Media Group)

For the first time, Celebrity Cruises is named the No. 1 Best Cruise Line for the Money and the No. 1 Best Cruise Line in the Mediterranean. Disney Cruise Line earns distinctions both as the Best Cruise Line for Families and the Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean for the fourth consecutive year. Crystal Cruises continues its reign as the Best Luxury Cruise Line and the Best Cruise Line for Couples.

“Cruise lines are going above and beyond to reach new audiences and keep existing customers happy by offering high-quality amenities, brand-new ships and updated itineraries – but that doesn’t mean choosing one is easy,” said Gwen Shearman, travel editor at U.S. News. “The Best Cruise Lines rankings help travelers sort through their options by showcasing the lines and ships that meet the high expectations of travelers and critics alike.”

The methodology for the Best Cruise Lines rankings factors in expert evaluations of cruise ship quality, reputation among travelers, results from health assessments conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other factors such as price class and itinerary offerings.

2017 U.S. News Best Cruise Lines Rankings
For the Money	For Luxury
1. Celebrity Cruises	1. Crystal Cruises
2. Royal Caribbean International	2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
3. Norwegian Cruise Line	3. Oceania Cruises
For Families	For Couples
1. Disney Cruise Line	1. Crystal Cruises
2. Royal Caribbean International	2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
3. Carnival Cruise Lines	3. Azamara Club Cruises
In The Mediterranean	In The Caribbean
1. Celebrity Cruises	1. Disney Cruise Line
2. Regent Seven Seas Cruises	2. Celebrity Cruises
3. Oceania Cruises	3. Crystal Cruise