Leading global fabric and home fashions manufacturer Home Furnishing International has named Jane McCormac-Raab to the position of President of Home Fashions International LLC, the company’s main U.S. division, effective immediately. McCormac-Raab was most recently Senior Buyer for powerhouse specialty home fashions retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, a post she has held for the past eight years.
“It is the right time to bring on a new president, and I have every confidence that Jane is the exact right person for the job,” explains David Li, Chief Executive Officer of the privately held firm, which has annual sales estimated in excess of $200 million. “We need a new leader to help take us to the next level, to maximize our business potential by leveraging our state-of-the-art vertical manufacturing, design, marketing, sales and distribution capabilities.
“Jane’s combination of intelligence, home fashions expertise, entrepreneurial background and understanding of the retail market make her the ideal president to drive our U.S. business forward,” Li continues. “I met Jane more than 20 years ago as a buyer, and I have always been impressed with the way she handles the business—she is incredibly sharp and extremely efficient, and she possesses all of the leadership qualities we need to position HFI as the leading supplier of decorative pillows, window treatments, home decor, accessories and decorative fabrics for the U.S. market.”
Prior to joining Bed Bath & Beyond, McCormac-Raab owned her own firm, JPR Custom Interiors, providing custom home fashions design services to major companies in the home furnishings industry as well as to consumers. She points out that she is no stranger to HFI, having counted the company as one of her clients and serving as Vice President of window design on a consulting basis. Before starting her own company, she served as a textiles buyer for Fortunoff for 18 years, and started her career as Manager and co-owner of Le Bebe, a specialty baby gift and clothing retail store in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“Home Fashions International is a company with tremendous global potential today, especially given the rapid pace of change in the U.S. retail industry and the international business environment,” McCormac-Raab says. “One of the biggest challenges facing suppliers today is how to manage and support the growth of our customers’ online businesses, which have vastly different design, manufacturing and distribution requirements than traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores.
“Because I have seen the business from both sides—retailer and supplier—I believe I have a better understanding of our customers’ challenges and how to best meet their needs,” she continues. “Over the years, I have developed extremely good relationships with retailers at all levels of the market, from specialty shops and department stores to mass merchants and national chains. I have seen and experienced firsthand how important it is for today’s successful retailers to implement an omni-channel strategy, and my mission at HFI is to do whatever it takes to support those retail efforts.”
McCormac-Raab will be based at the Home Fashions International showroom at 295 Fifth Ave., New York, NY.
