Jon Kubo Joins Social Commerce Leader 8thBridge As Chief Product Officer

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- 8thBridge, the leader in social commerce, announced today that Jon Kubo, former SVP of Ecommerce and CIO of Wet Seal, has joined the company as Chief Product Officer.  Mr. Kubo brings over 16 years of ecommerce experience and is an award-winning CIO.

"The addition of Jon Kubo to our team strengthens our position in the marketplace and prepares 8thBridge for the next stage of growth" said Wade Gerten, CEO of 8thBridge.  "We're thrilled to join forces with someone as visionary as Jon."

"This is a really compelling opportunity to join one of the hottest social media companies today," said Jon Kubo, CPO of 8thBridge. "The social commerce industry is projected to grow to $30 billion by 2015 and 8thBridge is best positioned to capitalize on this opportunity." 

Mr. Kubo is an industry visionary in the area of social commerce.  He has won several awards for his launch of the Outfitter social shopping applications while at Wet Seal.  Initially launched at WetSeal.com in 2008 with subsequent Facebook, iPhone, iPad, and Android versions, the application allows shoppers to create, rate, and buy outfits. Wet Seal's social shopping applications are cited by industry leaders and analysts as one of best examples of social shopping in the industry.  In June of 2011, Mr. Kubo was awarded The 2011 RIS Retail CIO of the Year for implementing mobile and social strategies for Wet Seal. Mr. Kubo was also named the CIO of the Year in 2010 by Oracle.

Mr. Kubo spent the last 6 years as the CIO of Wet Seal, Inc., parent company of Wet Seal and Arden B.  During this time, he also served as head of Ecommerce for both brands, growing online revenue by over 10 times.  Prior to Wet Seal, Inc., he was an EVP and Chief Administrative Officer of FAO Schwarz.  While at FAO Schwarz he led the launch of their online presence, catalog, and relaunch of their retail stores.

About 8thBridge, Inc.

8thBridge is the leading social shopping platform reaching over 80 million Facebook users. Over 50 leading brands in fashion, retail, and entertainment have launched more than 30,000 social shopping stores using 8thBridge technology and expert services. Merchants partner with 8thBridge to create social shopping experiences for their customers. Customers engage merchants on their own terms in a shopping experience that is portable, personalized, and participatory. History was made on July 8th, 2009 when Alvenda, currently known as 8thBridge, brought online retail to Facebook and again on August 12, 2010 for the travel industry. The Ticket Counter™ by 8thBridge was named one of the Top Ten Marketer Apps of 2010 by Advertising Age. 8thBridge, has been featured in Advertising Age, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, WWD, Bloomberg TV and TechCrunch. 8thBridge is funded by Split Rock Venture Partners and Trident Capital. For more information on 8thBridge, visit www.8thbridge.com.

Media Contact: Erik Eliason 8thBridge, 612-927-3420, [email protected]

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SOURCE 8thBridge

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