Mark Fasold is executive vice president of Cornerstone Brands, the parent company of home decor, apparel, and travel accessories catalogs Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Smith & Noble, The Territory Ahead, TravelSmith, and Whispering Pines.
Q. Where were you born and raised?
A. Stratford, CT.
Q. What college did you attend?
A. Boston College.
Q. Who makes up your immediate family?
A. My wife of 25 years – she was my high school sweetheart – and our three children, ages 22, 19, and 14.
Q. How did you break into the catalog business?
A. While in my first job as staff accountant at Coopers & Lybrand, client L.L. Bean hired me away as a budget manager.
Q. Which are your favorite catalogs?
A. All the Cornerstone books – even before we bought them – plus L.L. Bean, Horchow, Williams-Sonoma, and Smith & Hawken.
Q. What are your favorite Websites?
A. Yahoo.com, Altavista.com, CNN.com, Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Petescoffee.com, LLBean.com, Landsend.com, and Levenger.com.
Q. What was the biggest career risk you ever made?
A. Leaving Bean when it was on a major growth curve and moving across the country to become president of Smith & Hawken.
Q. Where do you think the catalog business will be in five years?
A. Strong merchandising and customer service will continue to be a winning formula, whether through the Internet or catalogs.
Q. What one thing would you change about the catalog business?
A. I wish there were a way to bring in more employees with the knowledge of one-to-one marketing.
Q. Who’s your favorite musical group?
A. The Beatles
Q. Who’s your favorite cartoon character?
A. Beetle Bailey.
Q. What’s the best book you ever read?
A. The Stand, by Stephen King.
Q. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
A. Dog – we own a golden retriever, Max.
Q. Who would you like to trade places with for a day?
A. Basketball legend Larry Bird when he was at his prime.