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Outback Steakhouse parent selects Avon executive as CEO

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BY MICHAEL SASSO

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Published: November 6, 2009

The parent company of Outback Steakhouse has chosen the president of Avon Products as its next chief executive officer.

OSI Restaurant Partners of Tampa, which owns Outback, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and other brands, announced Tuesday it has named Elizabeth "Liz" Smith as its CEO. She will replace current OSI Chief Executive Officer Bill Allen, who will retire on Nov. 15.

Allen, who has been chief executive since March 2005, will still serve as chairman of OSI's board of directors.

"Over the course of her career, she has demonstrated exceptional brand-building prowess, operational expertise and leadership ability," Allen said of Smith in a prepared statement. "I am confident she is the right person to move the business forward, and welcome her on behalf of the OSI family."

According to a profile of her on Avon's Web site, Smith, 46, joined Avon in 2005 as president of its Global Brand operations.

She later assumed leadership of Avon North America. Before joining Avon, Smith was an executive at Kraft Foods Inc.

She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford University's business school.

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