R. Brad Martin

R. Brad Martin is Chairman of the Board of retailer, Saks Incorporated. Martin was the principal investor in a group whih acquired Proffitt's, In. (Saks' predecessor company) in October of 1984. At that time, Proffitt's operated five department stores in metropolitan Knoxville, TN. In 1989, Proffitt's doubled its size with the acquisitin of another five stores, and Brad Martin assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of what was then a $75 million company. Over the next 15 years, the Company became one of the largest retail enterprises in the United States, with peak annual revenues in excess of $6 billion. Martin is a graduate of the University of Memphis, where he served as President of the Student Body. He also holds a MBA degree from the Owen Graduate School fo Management at Vanderbilt University. He served five terms as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives and hold the distinction of being the youngest person ever elected to the Tennessee General Assembly.