Mrs. Bowles has been Chairman of Springs Industries, Inc., a windows home furnishings company, since 1998 and a member of its board since 1978. From 1998 until 2006, she was also Chief Executive Officer of Springs Industries, Inc. Subsequent to a spinoff and merger in 2006, she was Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Springs Global Participacoes S.A., a textile home furnishings company, until July 2007. She remains on the board of Springs Global Participacoes S.A. She is also a member of the board of directors of Deere & Company. Mrs. Bowles is a graduate of Wellesley College and earned an MBA from Columbia University. She serves on the boards of the African Wildlife Foundation, Inc. and the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health. She is a member of The Business Council, the Committee of 200, and the South Carolina Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee.