Stranzl demands that the Post retract and apologize

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, September 16, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jennifer Stranzl – an award-winning American marketing executive whose name has figured prominently on The Wall Street Journal’s masthead – has served a libel notice on the National Post regarding a front page article published by the Post on September 1, 2017.

The Post’s front page article stated that Ms. Stranzl’s tenure as Chief Marketing Advisor for Sears Canada from September 2015 to June of 2017 has cast a “shadow” over current efforts by her husband, Sears Canada Executive Chairman Brandon Stranzl, to purchase the company.

“I am hoping for an apology and a retraction to be issued by Postmedia; otherwise, I do reserve all my legal rights,” said Stranzl, who moved to Canada two years ago.

Ms. Stranzl’s libel notice states that the Post defamed her in the front page article by alleging that she did not have substantial corporate experience in marketing and held her position at Sears Canada because she was married to Mr. Stranzl.

In fact, Ms. Stranzl has over 20 years’ experience in marketing. The Post’s article failed to inform the public that:

• Ms. Stranzl was employed for more than seven years at Dow Jones & Company, during which she was promoted four times and rose to the position of Vice-President of Marketing and Public Relations in New York. Ms. Stranzl was identified as such on the masthead of The Wall Street Journal;

• While Ms. Stranzl was employed by Dow Jones, she directed an award-winning online marketing program for The Wall Street Journal Online, and was responsible for building revenues for Barron’s Online and Marketwatch.com;

• Ms. Stranzl had prior major brand experience as a senior manager in marketing at L’Oreal Paris, and in marketing at Procter & Gamble. She previously worked in investment banking at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York;

• During her tenure as Chief Marketing Advisor at Sears Canada, the company won numerous marketing industry awards. In May of 2017 Sears Canada won multiple ACE awards from the Canadian Public Relations Society, including awards for “Brand Development Campaign of the Year”, “New Product Launch Campaign of the Year” and “MarComm [i.e., Marketing Communications] Campaign of the Year”. Also in May of 2017, Sears Canada won four OVATION awards from the International Association of Business Communicators for marketing and public relations campaigns; and

• During Ms. Stranzl’s time as Chief Marketing Advisor, Sears Canada same store sales increased, after having declined annually for 11 years.

Ms. Stranzl’s libel notice also states that:

• Ms. Stranzl has discovered that the only attempts by the Post to contact her prior to publication were through voicemail messages on her Sears Canada mobile phone, which she had not used since leaving the company in June of 2017;

• The Post’s article indicates extensive reliance on confidential sources for the purpose of publishing “what amounts to little more than office gossip”, thereby damaging Ms. Stranzl’s reputation for competence and integrity; and

• The Post’s article was published on the day of the deadline for the submission of Brandon Stranzl’s bid for Sears Canada.

While the story ostensibly dealt with Stranzl’s role at Sears Canada, it also discredited her husband Brandon and months-long efforts to save Sears Canada and the thousands of jobs that go with it. The Stranzls relocated to Canada from the United States so that Brandon could assume his role as Executive Chairman of Sears Canada.

Stranzl said, “I hope the article does not adversely influence Brandon’s bid to keep Sears Canada alive. The possibility that detractors may have worked to engineer this is concerning. His bid is an attempt to save the company and could save thousands of jobs – and is of concern for the many employees, suppliers, landlords, and communities who depend upon it.”

Ms. Stranzl’s libel notice demands an immediate retraction and apology. She is represented by Toronto defamation counsel Peter Downard of Fasken Martineau.

For media inquiries contact:

Lisa Kinsella
Daisy Group
416-319-1023
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