Michael Weiss, president and CEO of Express, will present Feb. 6 Genet Lecture at Syracuse University

Michael Weiss, president and CEO of Express, will present Feb. 6 Genet Lecture at Syracuse UniversityJanuary 31, 2003Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

Syracuse University alumnus Michael Weiss ’62, president and CEO of Express, a wholly owned division of Limited Brands, will present “Creating Brands at Retail” Feb. 6 at 3:30 p.m. in SU’s Sue Ann Genet Auditorium, Slocum Hall, Room 108. The lecture, part of the Genet Lecture Series, is free and open to the public.

Weiss began his career with Limited Brands in 1981 as the merchandise manager for an eight-store experimental division, which later became Express. He served as president of Express from 1982 through 1993 and returned to the position in 1997. As the company’s first president, he took the division from virtually zero earnings in 1982 to $1 billion in sales in 1993. Express currently operates more than 1000 stores across the United States.

Prior to joining Limited Brands, Weiss worked with Apparel Industries in New York City. Earlier in his career, he worked for Casual Corner and Abraham and Strauss. Born in Brooklyn, Weiss holds a bachelor’s degree in English from SU and resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Arlene.

The Sue Ann Genet Lecture Series is offered by SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in conjunction with the Genet Gallery for costume, textiles and decorative arts. The series brings prominent speakers to the University from retailing, fashion and design.