Vera Bradley Names Theresa Palermo EVP, Chief Marketing Officer

FORT WAYNE, Ind., June 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vera Bradley, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRA) ("Vera Bradley" or the "Company") today announced that Theresa Palermo has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. She will join the Company on June 22, 2015.

Since 2013 Palermo has served as Vice President, Global Marketing and Public Relations for Fossil Group, where she successfully created and executed innovative marketing strategies and campaigns for their extensive portfolio of luxury and fashion brands across North and Central America. Palermo joined Fossil in 2011 as Global Senior Director of Marketing. Prior to joining Fossil, she held key marketing roles of increasing responsibility with several well-known retailers including global footwear company Collective Brands, The Timberland Company and the J. Jill Group.

In the Chief Marketing Officer role, Palermo will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies and initiatives that will build Vera Bradley's brand awareness and drive revenue growth across all of the Company's channels.

Robert Wallstrom, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Theresa comes to Vera Bradley with an accomplished retail marketing background. She has a terrific blend of creative and analytical skills and a solid track record of building brands, engaging consumers, and driving sales through designing and executing comprehensive marketing programs. Marketing is a key focus for Vera Bradley as we work to create excitement around our brand and introduce consumers to our myriad of new products. We are anxious for Theresa to get started."   

Palermo will be based in Fort Wayne and will report directly to Wallstrom.

About Vera Bradley, Inc.

Vera Bradley, Inc. is a leading designer of women's handbags and accessories, luggage and travel items, eyewear, stationery, and gifts. Founded in 1982 by friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the brand's iconic designs and versatile styles offer women of all ages a colorful way to accessorize. Vera Bradley offers a unique, multi-channel sales model as well as a focus on service and a high level of engagement with fans. Fiscal 2015 net revenues totaled approximately $509 million. The Company's commitment to breast cancer research continues to increase its reach through the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. For more information about Vera Bradley (Nasdaq:VRA), visit www.verabradley.com/mediaroom .

Vera Bradley Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected, including: possible adverse changes in general economic conditions and their impact on consumer confidence and spending; possible inability to predict and respond in a timely manner to changes in consumer demand; possible loss of key management or design associates or inability to attract and retain the talent required for our business; possible inability to maintain and enhance our brand; possible inability to successfully implement our growth strategies or manage our growing business; possible inability to successfully open new stores as planned; adverse changes in the cost of raw materials and labor used to manufacture our products; and possible adverse effects resulting from a significant disruption in our single distribution facility. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements, please refer to "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. Financial schedules are attached to this release.

CONTACT: Investors:

         Julia Bentley,

         VP of Investor Relations and Communications

         jbentley@verabradley.com

         (260) 207-5116

         

         Media:

         877-708-VERA (8372)