George Ittner has spent his career in marketing and general management. Before joining the board of directors of BEL USA LLC in 2014, George was Chairman of the Board of Oriental Trading Company, Inc. and led the successful sale of the company to Berkshire Hathaway in 2012. Previously, George was President of The Territory Ahead, a multi-channel retailer of men’s and women’s casual clothing. He also served as President and CEO of Executive Greetings, Inc., a business-to-business direct marketer. George spent twenty years at Newport News, Inc., a direct marketer of women’s fashions and home décor. While at Newport News, George held the titles of Vice President of Marketing, General Manager, and Executive Vice President before being appointed President and CEO, and later Chairman and CEO. The early years of his career were spent in international marketing at Avon.
In addition to BEL USA, George sits on the board of Origami Owl. Prior board associations include Oriental Trading, the Direct Marketing Association, Spiegel, Inc. and Levenger, plus non-profits Novim and VISTAS Lifelong Learning, Inc.
He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
George and his wife, Peggy, live in Santa Barbara, California.