Pauline Brown to Join The Carlyle Group as Managing Director in the Consumer & Retail Group

New York – Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group today announced that Pauline J. Brown has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Consumer & Retail Group. Ms. Brown comes to Carlyle from Avon Products, Inc., where she was the Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Global Business Development. Ms. Brown begins her duties in this new position on November 15, 2006, and will be based in New York.

Sandra Horbach, Carlyle Managing Director and Head of the Consumer & Retail Group, said, "Pauline is an outstanding addition to our growing consumer and retail team. Pauline’s expertise in personal care and consumer brands, coupled with her strong M&Amp;A experience, will help Carlyle identify attractive investment opportunities and add significant value to our portfolio companies."

With the addition of Ms. Brown, the Consumer & Retail Group will have 11 investment professionals dedicated to pursuing investments in the consumer and retail sector, including food and beverage, retail, restaurants, consumer products, consumer services, personal care products, direct marketing and education.

In 2006, Carlyle’s Consumer & Retail Group has invested in Dunkin’ Brands, a franchisor of quick service restaurant concepts under three brands: Dunkin' Donuts (which sells more than one billion cups of coffee per year), Baskin-Robbins and Togo's Eatery; and Oriental Trading Company, a direct marketer of party supplies, novelties, toys and children’s arts and crafts, school supplies and value-priced home décor and giftware.

Ms. Brown said, "I am delighted to join Carlyle’s Consumer & Retail Group. Sandra has built an exceptional team, and I look forward to partnering with them in exploring and capitalizing on all the exciting opportunities in the sector."

Ms. Brown joined Avon as Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Global Business Development in 2005, where she was responsible for developing the company’s short- and long-term growth strategies, planning and executing key components of its turnaround plan, launching new business initiatives and driving all external opportunities – including acquisitions, licenses and strategic alliances.

Prior to joining Avon, Ms. Brown worked for eight years at the Estee Lauder Companies Inc., where she most recently was the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and New Business Development, responsible for all mergers, acquisitions and licensing efforts. In addition to focusing on new brand developments, Ms. Brown also spearheaded major strategic initiatives, including analysis and planning of new distribution channels, new geographic markets and new product categories.

Prior to joining Estee Lauder, Ms. Brown was a Management Consultant at Bain & Company in Boston, where she advised senior management of major consumer products companies on key strategic issues, including customer retention, channel strategies, organizational and operational restructuring, and post-merger integration.

Ms. Brown earned her M.B.A from The Wharton School and her B.A. from Dartmouth College. She is the Treasurer of the Avon Foundation, a Board Member of the New York City Investment Fund (Retail & Tourism Sector Group) and a Member of the Women’s Forum.