The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. announced today that Craig W. Rydin is joining the Company as chief executive officer. Mr. Rydin succeeds Michael D. Parry, who is retiring. Mr. Parry will remain with the company as interim CEO until April 23rd when Mr. Rydin will assume his responsibilities full time. Mr. Rydin will also join the Yankee Candle board of directors.

Mr. Rydin, 49, has nearly 30 years of management and consumer products marketing experience. He served as president of the Away From Home food services and Godiva Chocolatier divisions of Campbell Soup Company, where he had been since 1978. Prior to Godiva, he held a number of senior management positions at Pepperidge Farm, Inc., including vice president and general manager of the Biscuit, Bakery and Frozen Foods divisions.

“Craig brings exceptional management expertise to Yankee Candle,” said Sandra J. Horbach, chairman of the search committee and a general partner of Forstmann Little, the principal shareholder. “While President of Godiva, he accelerated their retail store strategy, continued to successfully expand their wholesale account base, and accelerated their global expansion. His outstanding brand building skills, combined with his strong operational and financial capabilities, represent a perfect fit to take advantage of our proven franchise. Craig has demonstrated both the leadership and vision to deliver superior sales and earnings growth and we believe he is uniquely qualified to lead the Company for many years to come.”

“I am very excited to be joining a market leader like Yankee Candle,” said Craig Rydin. “We have a very unique opportunity to leverage the Company’s well-established brand and expand both its retail and wholesale sales platforms. I look forward to working with the talented team at Yankee Candle to maximize the Company’s substantial long-term growth opportunities.”

“I feel privileged to have been part of Yankee Candle’s success over the past two decades,” said Michael Parry. “Since I joined Yankee Candle in 1982, the company has grown from $1 million to almost $350 million in sales. Yankee is at an exciting point in its development and Craig is the ideal executive to lead the company as it realizes its full growth potential in the years to come. I look forward to spending more time with my family, but as a major shareholder of Yankee Candle, will continue to be very supportive of the company’s ongoing success.”