SAN FRANCISCO—Good Vibrations, the San Francisco-based retailer that provides accurate information on sexuality and toys for grown-ups, has announced the hire and appointment of Jackie Strano as chief operating officer.
"We are pleased to announce the addition of Jackie Strano to the Good Vibrations' senior management team," said Joel Kaminsky, owner and chief executive officer of Good Vibrations. "Having worked for Good Vibrations in its early years, Jackie understands our core values and has extensive operational experience in the adult industry. We look forward to working with her and believe her contributions in this new role will be instrumental as we work to ensure Good Vibrations' successful business development and profitability. We continue to believe that building and investing in a solid management team is critical to executing our growth strategy in the years to come."
In this new position, Strano will be responsible for several key initiatives such as managing personnel, profitability, forecasting, budgeting, strategic planning, streamlining efficiencies and optimizing company-wide operational systems.
She will also be working on staff development, carrying out the core mission while maintaining Good Vibrations' brand and identity as a market leader, managing short term and long range future expansion, tying in operations, IT, web, marketing, sales and brand development. Strano brings to GV years of expertise in operational best practices, industry gold standard benchmarks, innovation, and proactive visionary leadership.
Strano has a wealth of experience to draw from as she heads up the Good Vibrations' operations team going forward. With almost 20 years in the industry, including areas of web operations, distribution, fulfillment, product development, IT, retail operations, strategic business development, project management, quality assurance and more than 20 years of management experience, she has built a successful career at companies including Amazon, Ask Jeeves, her own company SIR Video Productions (with partner Shar Rednour) and most recently, Babeland.
Some of Strano’s notable achievements include an AVN award in 2001, awarded to SIR Productions along with several nominations and critical acclaim. SIR was the very first independent, lesbian-owned production company to ever be recognized by the adult industry for Best All Girl
Feature. SIR was also voted SF Bay Guardian Best of the Bay; featured in KRON-TV's documentary, History of Sex in San Francisco; featured on HBO's six-part series Pornucopia and featured in the UK, nationally televised documentary The Truth About Lesbian Sex. SIR Productions created the perennial best-seller Bend Over Boyfriend adult DVD starring Dr. Carol Queen that in the past decade has influenced pop culture around sexual politics.
Under Strano's operational leadership, Customflix, an Amazon-owned DVD-on-demand production and fulfillment subsidiary, secured official 24-hour, turn-around drop-ship status during peak season after initial acquisition. During Strano's leadership, Babeland's web operations recovered and grew to its best season ever in the company's 15-year history during a down-turning economy while she managed simultaneous critical software launches and operational teams.
Strano was part of the initial worker owner cooperative group following Joani Blank's sole proprietorship of Good Vibrations in the early 1990s. Strano worked in all areas of the company but her primary duties included supervision, hiring, firing, retail operations and training staff throughout the company as it grew exponentially. She led personnel and management teams that strategically developed core competencies before her departure in 1998, including the opening of the East Bay store.
