Marietta Native is New Director of Marketing & Business Development at Kittery Premium Outlets

Simon Property Group Inc., a global leader in the retail real estate industry, announced today that Kathy Akopov has assumed the position of Director of Marketing & Business Development at Kittery Premium Outlets in Kittery, Maine.

In her role as the Director of Marketing & Business Development, Akopov will work closely with the Kittery Premium Outlets team, including General Manager Elizabeth Fourar-Laidi. Akopov is the first Director of Marketing & Business Development at the Premium Outlets and will be responsible for business development, media, events and strategic marketing efforts including digital marketing, advertising and social media. In her role, she will also oversee public relations development and constituency communication, as well as address property issues and opportunities that enhance tenant, community and media relations, and she will take the lead on community-based programs. Akopov is also responsible for marketing operations budgets, sales and revenue generation, and financial accountability.

Akopov has nearly a decade of experience in marketing. She comes to retail from an extensive nonprofit background which especially lends to her events and community relations duties at Kittery Premium Outlets. Akopov served as Director of Marketing and Development at PAWS Atlanta for four years, where she was responsible for organizing special event fundraisers and budgets, managing staff and volunteers and working on strategic planning and development of new programs, among other duties. Akopov was also responsible for securing media partnerships and implementing a new technology platform at PAWS.

Prior to that, Akopov was a health communication specialist at ICF Macro. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in Finance and a minor in Business Law. She currently resides in Dover, N.H.

About Simon

Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

About Kittery Premium Outlets

An easy drive from several of New England’s major cities, Kittery Premium Outlets is located just off I-95 (Exit 3 north and Exit 2 south) in Kittery Maine. The outlets feature 65 stores including Adidas, Aldo, American Eagle Outfitters, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Coach, Chico’s, Cole Haan, Columbia Sportswear, The Gap, Izod, J.Crew, Johnston & Murphy, Levi’s, Movado, Nike, Old Navy, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Tumi and more. Kittery Premium Outlets offers international sizing charts, wheelchair rentals and a full service Information Center. Kittery is a vacationer’s paradise for fun in the sun, enjoying New England seaside villages and experiencing great shopping. For more information and local shop and stay packages, visit our website at www.premiumoutlets.com/kittery.