NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: [ AVP ]) today announced the appointment of Jeff Benjamin as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective September 12. Mr. Benjamin will report to Sheri McCoy, Avon's Chief Executive Officer, and join the company's Executive Committee.

"Creating a productive work environment that continues to enhance our compliance culture is a priority," said Ms. McCoy. "Jeff's proven commitment to business ethics and law compliance and his credibility within and outside the legal profession will be a tremendous asset for Avon."

In a career spanning more than forty years prior to his retirement from Novartis Corporation at year-end 2011, Mr. Benjamin developed expertise in litigation, corporate transactions, antitrust, environmental regulation, equal employment opportunity, product liability and ethics and compliance. Throughout his career at Ciba and Novartis, Mr. Benjamin exercised responsibility for the representation of his company in potentially material litigation and government investigations and, with his colleagues, built a solid track record of successful resolutions. He is also known in the legal profession as a leader who recruits and develops high caliber talent.

From 1996 through 2011, he served Novartis Corporation (formerly known as Ciba-Geigy Corporation) in a variety of General Counseling positions. In addition, from 1997 through 2010, Mr. Benjamin served as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and Chair of the Ethics & Compliance Committee until his retirement in 2011. In 1996, after the announcement of the Ciba Geigy-Sandoz merger agreement, Mr. Benjamin became General Counsel of Ciba-Geigy Corporation, counseling the Board of Directors and representing the company in Federal Trade Commission proceedings that ultimately led to the largest corporate merger in history up until that time. Between 1986 and 1996, Mr. Benjamin served as Vice-President, Associate General Counsel and Legal Department Director, a period during which he also helped institute the company's first formal compliance program. He became Deputy Compliance Officer in the late 1980s.

Mr. Benjamin served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association from 2005 through 2011 and upon his retirement, was recognized with Emeritus status. He currently serves on the Ethics Resource Center's Advisory Group with respect to the 20^th anniversary of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations. Since 2002, he has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Brennan Center for Justice. Mr. Benjamin has appeared as a speaker in many ethics and compliance and continuing legal education seminars .

Mr. Benjamin began his formal legal career as a Litigation Associate with Kronish, Lieb, Shainswit, Weiner & Hellman. Mr. Benjamin received his J.D., cum laude, from New York University Law School in 1971 and a B.A. in Government from Cornell University in 1967. While attending law school, he served as an intern at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

About Avon
Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with over $11 billion in annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through over 6 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. Avon's product line includes beauty products, as well as fashion and home products, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, ANEW, Skin-So-Soft, Advance Techniques, Avon Naturals, and mark. Learn more about Avon and its products at [ www.avoncompany.com ].

SOURCE Avon Products, Inc.

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Avon Appoints Jeff Benjamin as General Counsel

Avon Appoints Jeff Benjamin as General Counsel