Sears Names Executives

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 4/4/2005 12:00:00 AM

Hoffman Estates, Ill. — —

Hoffman Estates, Ill. — The new Sears Holding Corp. has named Catherine David to senior vice president of its freestanding concepts: Sears Grand, The Great Indoors and Sears Essentials, the latter of which is expected to number roughly 500 units over the next several years.

David, the former vice president and general manager of The Great Indoors, will report to Aylwin Lewis, Kmart's former CEO. Lewis is now president of Sears Holdings and CEO of Kmart and Sears Retail.

Luis Padilla, formerly president of Sears merchandising, has become president of merchandising and marketing. He will report to Lewis instead of Alan Lacy, CEO of Sears.

Bruce Johnson, formerly a supply chain executive for Kmart, will become executive vice president of supply chain and operations for Sears Holding.

Sears' Chris Shimojima becomes vice president of merchandising and marketing of customer direct, which includes online and catalog for the Sears and Lands' End nameplates. He succeeds Bill Bass, who is leaving the company.

Also exiting is William White, executive vice president and general manager of Sears' specialty retail stores, and Garry Kelly, Sears' chief information technology officer. White will retire. His responsibilities have not yet been reassigned.

Kelly will be succeeded by Kmart's Karen Austin as chief information officer. She will report to Lewis in her new role.

Ted McDougal, formerly in public relations at Sears, has become vice president of public relations. He succeeds Bob O'Leary, who has left the company.