USA: TextilEdge Inc. Names William Harris CEO

TextilEdge, Inc. the premier B2B e-commerce marketplace for sourcing in the global apparel and textile industries, today announced the appointment of William Harris as CEO. Mr. Harris is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Hoechst Fibers Worldwide, where he managed a $5 billion business, with 21,000 employees and production locations in 14 countries. Harris brings extensive experience as a visionary leader and manager of global businesses, and nearly three decades of experience in the textiles and fibers industries. "Bill's knowledge, accomplishments and experience in the textile industry make him the natural choice to lead TextilEdge," said Robert Widlansky, now President and COO of TextilEdge. "Bill's thorough understanding of the challenges faced every day by textile buyers and suppliers will be a tremendous benefit to TextilEdge as we continue to drive the industry's shift to e-commerce." "I am excited about being part of a dynamic team with the opportunity to help the apparel and textile industries make some dramatic changes and improvements," said Harris. "Improving the competitiveness and profitability of the North American textile and apparel supply chain has long been one of my passions, and TextilEdge can provide powerful assistance." From 1973-1998, Mr. Harris held many financial and leadership posts at Hoechst, AG and Celanese Corporation. Mr. Harris was also Chairman of the Board of Grupo Celanese S.A., formerly a publicly traded company in Mexico with sales of more than $1 billion, and Chairman and Executive Committee member of the American Fiber Manufacturers Association. Mr. Harris holds a M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University, and an A.B. in English from Harvard College.