• Women's Wear Daily, Friday, July 13, 2007 10:45 AM

Wesley R. Card, who had been CFO of Jones Apparel Group, was named CEO yesterday following the resignation of Peter Boneparth after a stormy five-year reign. The appointment heightened speculation that the Jones board is ultimately looking to sell the company, either whole or piecemeal.

Card is said to be more in sync with the board than Boneparth, who was seen as a polarizing figure. While some industry observers felt he did a good job with his restructuring and streamlining strategies, others said he clashed with the Jones board and his unorthodox personality and blunt demeanor was a strained fit for the personality-driven Seventh Avenue.

Boneparth proved the naysayers wrong when he bought Barneys New York in 2004. Last month, Jones agreed to sell the upscale chain it acquired for $397.5 million in 2004 to Dubai-based firm Istithmar for $825 million.

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