MELVILLE, N.Y., March 27, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:HAIN), a leading natural and organic products company, today announced the appointment of Kim K. Azzarelli as General Counsel and Senior Vice President - Legal and Public Affairs effective April 27, 2009. Ms. Azzarelli will also serve as Corporate Secretary of the Company. She will report directly to Irwin D. Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer.
"Kim joins our management team at an important stage in the Company's development," said Irwin D. Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain Celestial. "With her extensive legal and public company experience, Kim brings the skill set required to strengthen our corporate infrastructure and set the stage for our next chapter of development. In addition, Kim's interest in businesses that do well while doing good will make her a great addition to the Hain Celestial family."
Ms. Azzarelli joins Hain Celestial from Avon Products, Inc. a leading global beauty company and the world's largest direct seller, where she served as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Since joining Avon in 2003, Ms. Azzarelli held positions of increasing responsibility, leading the Global Corporate legal team and working with the Board of Directors and executive management on a variety of corporate and litigation matters. She also made significant contributions to Avon's mission of improving the lives of women through better health, safety and economic empowerment.
"I am very pleased to be joining The Hain Celestial Group, a company dedicated to improving our health and well-being -- be it the health of our children, our families or our planet," said Kim Azzarelli. "I look forward to working with Irwin and this dynamic and well-respected leadership team."
Prior to joining Avon, Ms. Azzarelli practiced law at the international law firm of Latham & Watkins, LLP where she counseled domestic and international clients on a broad range of corporate, securities law and litigation matters. Ms. Azzarelli also clerked for the Honorable Harold Ackerman, United States District Court Judge for New Jersey and has taught corporate law as an Adjunct Professor at Cornell Law School. Ms. Azzarelli has worked closely with the U.S. State Department and others in convening women judges from around the world to improve access to justice for women and girls and chairs the Steering Committee of the Avon Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School. She is a member of the Board of the Avon Foundation for Women, the Executive Committee of the Virtue Foundation and the Programming Committee of the O'Connor House. Ms. Azzarelli is a graduate of Cornell University and Cornell Law School.
The Hain Celestial Group
The Hain Celestial Group (Nasdaq:HAIN), headquartered in Melville, NY, is a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company in North America and Europe. Hain Celestial participates in almost all natural food categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings(r), Terra(r), Garden of Eatin'(r), Health Valley(r), WestSoy(r), Earth's Best(r), Arrowhead Mills(r), MaraNatha(r), SunSpire(r), DeBoles(r), Hain Pure Foods(r), FreeBird(tm), Plainville Farms(r), Hollywood(r), Spectrum Naturals(r), Spectrum Essentials(r), Walnut Acres Organic(r), Imagine(r), Rice Dream(r), Soy Dream(r), Rosetto(r), Ethnic Gourmet(r), Yves Veggie Cuisine(r), Granose(r), Realeat(r), Linda McCartney(r), Daily Bread(tm), Lima(r), Grains Noirs(r), Natumi(r), JASON(r), Zia(r) Natural Skincare, Avalon Organics(r), Alba Botanica(r), Queen Helene(r), Tushies(r) and TenderCare(r). Hain Celestial has been providing "A Healthy Way of Life" since 1993. For more information, visit www.hain-celestial.com.
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3526
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within and constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include but are not limited to general economic and business conditions; our ability to implement our business and acquisition strategy; our ability to effectively integrate our acquisitions; competition; availability and retention of key personnel; our reliance on third party distributors, manufacturers and suppliers; changes in customer preferences; international sales and operations; escalating fuel and commodity costs; the resolution of the SEC inquiry and litigation regarding our stock option practices; changes in, or the failure to comply with, government regulations; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's reports filed with the SEC, including the annual report on Form 10-K, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, no assurance can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements and neither the Company nor any person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these statements.