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Sri Lanka’s premier fashion and lifestyle retailer ODEL has announced the appointment of the international retail sales specialist William R. Pinkston, III, as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Pinkston who holds a Bachelor of Science, Business Management degree from the University of Florida, has over 25 years of experience in retail operations in the fashion and entertainment sectors with leading international brands such as Gap Inc., which operates more than 3,000 stores worldwide and J. Crew, a multi-channel retailer with 251 stores in the USA.


He has also held key positions in retail management at several other large corporate institutions including Six Flags, a popular chain of theme parks and Gymboree Corporation, a specialty retailer currently operating more than 630 stores in USA and Canada, selling high-quality apparel and accessories for children.

“Pinkston’s vast experience and skills in many aspects of retail operations will be an invaluable asset to ODEL at this juncture,” ODEL founder and CEO Otara Gunewardene said. “His knowledge is what we need as we embark on our next phase of growth.”
“ODEL has built a solid foundation and is at an exciting stage in its development,” Pinkston said. “It has already gained visibility internationally as a dynamic brand and I look forward to playing a role in its evolution.”

In his illustrious career, Pinkston has specialised in store operations, expense reduction and control, product and visual merchandising, brand development, store concept design and project management for performance improvement. He has consistently delivered impressive results, driving sales and improving margins at institutions he served and has been acknowledged as an accomplished and creative leader.  

At Gap Inc. Pinkston served as Corporate Visual Merchandising Manager – GapKids/babyGap Division. In this capacity he was responsible for the conception, implementation and communication of presentation direction, fixture design/development and merchandising guidelines for GapKids/ babyGap. He has also served as District Manager for Gap in San Francisco, California, USA.
At J. Crew, he was a member of the team that transformed the chain of retail stores from a catalogue-based business. He managed construction, staffing, training, and merchandising for flagship stores in key metropolitan areas in the Southeast and Southwest USA in the capacity of Regional Manager Southeast/Southwest USA for the retail chain.

In his tenure as Director of Stores/Store Operations at Gymboree Corporation, providing direction to 308 retail stores generating $310 million in sales in the USA and Canada, comparable stores’ net sales improved by eight per cent. He also directed the opening of 65 new stores, 20 remodels and the brand’s entry into the Canadian market.

As Vice President/Director of Retail at Six Flags Los Angeles, California, Pinkston was rewarded as an accomplished creative leader among theme park retailers who consistently exceeded financial goals. Among his responsibilities in the capacity were brand marketing, product development/procurement, and day-to-day management of merchandise, games and attractions.
He has also been involved in providing project management solutions for prominent clients and major projects in Asia, Europe and the USA.

The ODEL chain now comprises of 15 stores in Sri Lanka, at Alexandra Place, Kohuwala, Maharagama, Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, Panadura, Nugegoda (Warehouse), Dickman’s Road, Ja-ela, Majestic City, Crescat (Backstage), Battaramulla, Kiribathgoda, Kandy and at the Bandaranaike International Airport. In its latest achievement, ODEL was shortlisted as a finalist at the Global Fashion Awards 2011 in the category ‘Outstanding Customer Experience.’ ODEL is the only Sri Lankan entity to receive membership of the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS).