Former AmericasMart president Jack Ryan rejoins as COO

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 9/7/2011 3:58:37 PM

Former AmericasMart president Jack Ryan has been named acting COO of the market entity, according to Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., current president of AmericasMart and its parent entity AMC, Inc.

Ryan rejoins AMC following his 2001 retirement from its presidency, which he held from 1994 during AmericasMart's early formative years, following the 1996 rebranding of the former Atlanta Market Center. A financial industry veteran with more than 22 years with the AMC-affiliated Portman Companies, Ryan will direct all AMC financial operations and will help to represent AMC's interests across the financial community at large.

"Jack's leadership, particularly during the creation and early development of AmericasMart, was critical to our initial successes in building market share and brand equity. As his direct report, I learned much from Jack then and will continue to gain from his expertise," Portman said, who was appointed AMC president and COO at Ryan's retirement.

During Ryan's original tenure, the AMC global home and gift franchise grew significantly with the advancement of AmericasMart's national and international buyer base, the alignment of its Atlanta operations and the AMC-managed California Gift Show - which was later divested - and the expansion of international partnerships with affiliates in the U.K. and Europe, according to a press release from AmericasMart.

"We are a much-different company today than we were at Jack's departure, with a different industry landscape presenting huge opportunities for growth," Portman said. "We look forward to Jack's decisive financial leadership in our vigorous pursuit of that growth."