ANOTHER DEPARTURE: Thomas Gardner, executive vice president of the Reader's Digest Association and president of RD International, will resign at the end of the month. Mary Berner, president and chief executive officer of Reader's Digest Association said Tuesday that at the time of Ripplewood Holdings' acquisition of RDA, Gardner offered to stay on to assist in the transition. Yet it was only three months ago Gardner agreed to take on the additional responsibility for North American Books and Home Entertainment, including RD Canada. Gardner declined further comment and a spokesman said the presidents of various regions around the world, such as Western Europe, will now report directly to Berner. — Amy Wicks
SINGING THE UNSUNG: Fashion's most glamorous "behind the scenes" women, at least according to Men.Style.Com, were feted Monday night at — where else these days? — the Roof Club at Manhattan's Gramercy Park Hotel. It was the Web site's first go at picking the "25 Who Make the World More Glamorous," and those selected included Valentino's Annelise Peterson, Ali Wise of Dolce & Gabbana, Bonnie Morrison of KCD Worldwide, Eleanor Ylvisaker at Earnest Sewn, public relations consultant Ferebee Bishop Taube and Victoria Traina, a student. Euan Rellie, one of the judges, showed up with his three-year-old son "to make sure I don't get into any trouble tonight." He also joked "this has been a good opportunity to flirt with women who are not my wife." Standing next to Rellie, Peterson said it was a "great honor" to be selected by the Web site, while laughing at a comment that "she just doesn't get enough attention, in general." Editor in chief Dirk Standen declined to let WWD in on the secrets behind the process, but hopes the list will lead to more in the future — and, of course, drive traffic to the site. "I wish I could say this is the 'second annual' and that we already had a long-standing tradition." — A.W.
SINGING THE UNSUNG: Fashion's most glamorous "behind the scenes" women, at least according to Men.Style.Com, were feted Monday night at — where else these days? — the Roof Club at Manhattan's Gramercy Park Hotel. It was the Web site's first go at picking the "25 Who Make the World More Glamorous," and those selected included Valentino's Annelise Peterson, Ali Wise of Dolce & Gabbana, Bonnie Morrison of KCD Worldwide, Eleanor Ylvisaker at Earnest Sewn, public relations consultant Ferebee Bishop Taube and Victoria Traina, a student. Euan Rellie, one of the judges, showed up with his three-year-old son "to make sure I don't get into any trouble tonight." He also joked "this has been a good opportunity to flirt with women who are not my wife." Standing next to Rellie, Peterson said it was a "great honor" to be selected by the Web site, while laughing at a comment that "she just doesn't get enough attention, in general." Editor in chief Dirk Standen declined to let WWD in on the secrets behind the process, but hopes the list will lead to more in the future — and, of course, drive traffic to the site. "I wish I could say this is the 'second annual' and that we already had a long-standing tradition." — A.W.
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