Wilanksy Takes Helm at Retail Ventures

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/8/2004 12:00:00 AM

Columbus, Ohio —

Retail Ventures Inc. has promoted Heywood Wilansky to president and CEO. He succeeds John Rossler, who, along with executive vice president and chief operating officer Edwin Kozlowski, has left the company.

Wilansky was most recently president and CEO of the Filene's Basement subsidiary of RVI. Before coming to RVI, Wilansky was president and CEO of Bon-Ton Stores and president and CEO of two divisions of The May Department Stores Company. He previously held positions at Lord & Taylor and The Hecht Company.

In his new post, Wilansky said he plans to “re-examine our merchandising mix at Value City Department Stores with the goal of freshening the stores' consumer appeal,” while furthering growth at DSW and Filene's Basement.

Other recent appointments are: Deborah Ferree, who has been promoted to president and chief merchandising officer of DSW from executive vice president and chief merchandising officer; Jerald Politzer, who has been promoted to president of the Value City Department Stores operations of RVI (replacing Stuart Glasser, who resigned) from executive vice president of merchandising for Filene's Basement; and Mark Shulman, who has been named president of Filene's Basement from chief operating officer of Retail Brand Alliance.

The board has yet to fill the chief operating officer post at RVI but said it is conducting a search. Jim McGrady, RVI's chief financial officer, will undertake operational responsibilities.