Starbucks executive Gass joins Ann Taylor board

Ann Taylor Stores elected Starbucks executive Michelle Gass to its board of directors, where she will sit on its compensation committee.

Gass is executive vice president of marketing and category at Starbucks, where she oversees the company's beverage, food, coffee and merchandise categories, future innovation pipeline, and overall brand and marketing efforts.

In 12 years at Starbucks, she has had many roles including a recent assignment as senior vice president of global strategy. In July, she left a post she had held for six months in Starbucks' office of the CEO.

Before joining Starbucks, Gass held marketing and product management jobs at Procter & Gamble.

New York-based Ann Taylor has 959 stores in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Melissa Allison: 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com