Top Marketing Executive Joins 1800CONTACTS as Chief Marketing Officer

DRAPER, Utah, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Joan Blackwood, a seasoned marketing executive who has directed major global and national campaigns from brand positioning and new product launches to creative customer relationship management initiatives, has recently joined 1800CONTACTS as Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer.

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Blackwood's extensive career spans financial, retail, software and e-commerce industries including well-known brands like Monster.com, Computer Associates, FleetBoston Financial and Morgan Stanley. She has led global marketing strategies, brand positioning, major advertising campaigns, and product re-positioning for Fortune 500 brands.

In announcing the appointment, President Brian Bethers said Blackwood "is a savvy, no-nonsense professional whose marketing career has been stellar. Joan will bring fresh insights and new strategies to our entire marketing and communications program. She's a proven leader who has led many creative and innovative campaigns that produced impressive bottom-line results."

"I am extremely excited to have joined the team of professionals at 1800CONTACTS. It is an innovative company founded on the core belief of customer service. They truly put the customer first in everything they do, which is a distinctive advantage for the brand. I look forward to continuing to help them grow and expand their offering," remarked Blackwood.

Blackwood was previously Chief Marketing Officer for Monster.com, an online career services company. She led all aspects of Monster's global marketing function including their first global brand launch in the company's history.

Prior to joining Monster.com, Blackwood directed marketing for Computer Associates, one of the world's largest management software companies, based in New York. She managed all aspects of global branding and marketing communications to customers in more than 140 countries.

Blackwood served in other senior marketing management roles at FleetBoston Financial (now part of Bank of America), RBC Dain Rauscher and Morgan Stanley Investments. She started her career as a retail marketer in Chicago.

Background on 1800CONTACTS

1800CONTACTS, based in Draper, Utah, is the world's largest contact lens store. The company stocks more than 20 million contact lenses and delivers over 150,000 every day directly to customers. 1800CONTACTS has delivered over five million orders to more than two million customers since the company was created in 1995. As a result of its extensive inventory, the Company is able to ship approximately 95 percent of its orders within one business day of receipt and verification of prescriptions. Through its easy-to-remember, toll-free telephone number "1800CONTACTS" (1-800-266-8288) and its Internet Web site, www.1800contacts.com, the company sells all of the most popular brands of contact lenses including Acuvue Oasys, Acuvue Advance, and Focus DAILIES. High volume, cost-efficient operations enable 1800CONTACTS to offer products at competitive prices while delivering a high level of customer service. 1800CONTACTS has received the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Excellence and Flexibility from 2007-2009 and won Utah's Work/Life Awards: Utah's Best Place to Work award for six consecutive years between 2003 and 2009. Additionally the company has been recognized as "Best of State" in the state of Utah for call centers in 2007 and 2009 and won the American Heart Association's Fit Friendly Companies award in 2008 and 2009.

SOURCE 1800CONTACTS