Mike George

QVC is planning to expand into France, betting that the television-shopping network can thrive even in a heavily regulated country with a stagnant economy. France may seem like an odd pick for a company whose most recent foray overseas came about 18 months ago in faster-growing China, but that's not stopping QVC CEO Mike George from pressing ahead. The company will begin broadcasting from Paris in the second quarter of next year. George said he couldn't care less about sluggish economic growth or high unemployment. He's done it before when QVC entered Italy during a steep recession three-plus years ago.

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- QVC, a global leader in video and ecommerce retail, announced today that Dan O'Connell, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will retire in the spring of 2013, following more than 25 years with the company. "Dan was part of the founding team that built and grew QVC's global business," said QVC President and CEO Mike George. "He played an integral role in the start-up of our businesses in Germany, Japan, and Italy, and under his leadership QVC has enjoyed a strong track record of growth and profitability, extending multichannel platforms