BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Directors of Dessange Group North America (DGNA), the parent company of Fantastic Sams, Dessange and Camille Albane, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathie S. Lee as Chief Executive Officer of DGNA effective January 2019. Ms. Lee is a Director on the DGNA Board and has provided leadership and direction for DGNA during 2018 as Interim CEO.

“We have confidence that Kathie Lee will continue to provide strong leadership and ensure execution of key business initiatives going forward,” said Emmanuel Gasnot, Chairman of the Executive Board of Dessange International. “Under Kathie’s continued stewardship, we look forward to a great 2019 and beyond.”

During her career Ms. Lee has managed the global business, development, legal and compliance functions for various public and private U.S. and international companies, where she was a member of executive committees and boards of directors and held roles as Executive Vice President of Business Development, Global Chief Administrative Officer, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer. She has led diverse teams including operations, business development, real estate, legal, finance, human resources, risk management, regulatory, marketing and public relations. Ms. Lee has also led corporate social responsibility functions for several companies and is a member of various foundation boards championing women’s causes and diversity.

Ms. Lee will implement the company’s vision to be the premier value-oriented, full-service hair salon expert, balancing technical expertise with fantastic and personalized guest experience. “The three pillars of education, marketing and business operations provide the foundation and strategy for implementing and executing our vision. We will focus on teamwork, collaboration and excellence in execution to enhance and support the Fantastic Sams, Dessange and Camille Albane franchise networks,” said Ms. Lee.

The three salon franchises – Fantastic Sams, a value-oriented, family brand throughout North America; Camille Albane, an urban, upscale French hair salon in Europe; and Dessange, the franchise leader in luxury hair salons and spas worldwide – enjoy a strategic position in the salon franchise industry.

The Board of Directors of DGNA is also pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Brown as Chief Operating Officer, effective April 15, 2019.

The Board identified a need for strong operational expertise to complement the existing leadership to create a synergistic core team. Mr. Brown provides experience and knowledge and a diverse background in franchising including the restaurant trade, as well as being a franchisee for the past 11 years in the Fantastic Sams system. Mr. Brown has demonstrated his abilities to manage and operate six highly successful Fantastic Sams salons in Florida with several of these salons achieving top revenue status within the network.

“We look forward to Scott Brown developing mutually profitable relationships with franchisees, regional owners and vendors/suppliers,” said Kathie Lee, CEO of DGNA. “Operational efficiencies at the salon unit level, salon profitability and technology within the Fantastic Sams network are priorities for him, as well.”

“It is a critical juncture in Fantastic Sams’ trajectory, and we plan to focus on the three key metrics of education, marketing and business operations to help DGNA deliver on that vision,” said Mr. Brown.