Levi Strauss & Co. Names New CFO

Levi Strauss & Co. has named Blake Jorgensen the company's new executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective July 1. Jorgensen is currently the chief financial officer for Yahoo! Inc., a global Internet company. He will report directly to LS&CO.'s Chief Executive Officer John Anderson.

Blake is a seasoned finance executive who brings a broad background of leadership, operational and strategic experience to Levi Strauss & Co.," said Anderson. "He has a successful track record of working with global consumer product companies and his deep financial experience will be a tremendous asset as we continue to position the company for future growth."

Prior to joining Yahoo!, Jorgensen co-founded Thomas Weisel Partners in 1998, where he served as chief operating officer, co-director of investment banking and a member of the Executive Committee. Before founding Thomas Weisel Partners, Jorgensen served as a managing director and principal in the corporate finance department of Montgomery Securities. Earlier in his career, he worked as an independent management consultant.

Jorgensen takes over the chief financial officer role from Heidi Manes, the company's vice president and controller, who has served as interim CFO for the past nine months.

"I want to thank Heidi for her strong leadership during the past nine months and our entire finance leadership team for continuing to build the financial strength of the company while we searched for our new CFO," said Anderson. "Blake will work closely with Heidi once he is on board to ensure a smooth transition."