Franklin, MA – February 5, 2010 – Brian Early, General Manager of Patriot Place will be the featured speaker at Dean College’s Speaking of Business series on Monday, March 1 at 4 p.m. in the College’s Campus Center Atrium, 135 Emmons Street, Franklin. The event is free and open to the public and part of the College’s “Speaking of Business” lecture series.

                Early, a Westwood native and Franklin resident, has been involved in operations, finance and marketing and is currently overseeing all operations of the 1.3 million square-foot Patriot Place destination in Foxborough. Patriot Place consists of more than 50 retail, dining and entertainment venues, including New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, Showcase Cinema de Lux, Showcase Live, CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon and Gillette Stadium.

Prior to joining The Kraft Group, Mr. Earley served as Vice President of Operations for BJ’s Wholesale Club, a Fortune 300 company with $8 billion in annual sales and more than 170 retail locations. He joined BJ’s Wholesale Club as Assistant Vice President - Petroleum Operations in 1999, establishing a retail gasoline division and growing annual revenues for that venture to more than $200 million in just two years. He was named Vice President of Operations in 2001 and was charged with leading the company’s retail energy operations and automotive services business as well as developing and implementing an e-commerce division.

Mr. Earley previously held several positions over 12 years with Gulf Oil, a petroleum wholesaler and one of America’s largest private companies. As Director of Marketing Operations, he established strategic partnerships with the National Hockey League and Virgin Airship, increasing revenue by 110 percent over a four-year period. He also served as Gulf Oil’s Energy Trade Financing Manager and Energy Planning and Analysis Manager.

He began his career as an analyst for Global Petroleum Corporation.

Brian is a member of the board of directors for the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Board of Founders for the Hockomock Area YMCA.

“This program, the final one in our series, will focus on the future of retail,” said Professor Gerard Shaw, Ph.D., who is overseeing the series and who is Director of the Dean Leadership Institute. “We want to bring information from experienced professionals to both the community and our students who may be considering careers in a particular field,” said Dr. Shaw.

                The event is free of charge and open to the public.