Content about People in the News

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Eddie Bauer first ascent guide Melissa Arnot summited Mt. Everest for the fifth time, the most of any woman in history. Arnot's celebratory summit falls only weeks after the 50th anniversary of the 1963 expedition outfitted by Eddie Bauer that marked the first American summit of the mountain by Jim Whittaker and his Sherpa partner, Nawang Gombu, and later by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld via the West Ridge.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s has appointed Starbucks executive Michelle Gass to the newly created position of chief customer officer. She will report directly to Kohl’s chairman, president and CEO Kevin Mansell.

Gass, who joins Kohl’s on June 17, will have leadership responsibility for Kohl’s branding across all channels. She will oversee all marketing efforts, the company’s high growth e-commerce business on Kohls.com and the customer’s total omnichannel experience.

DALLAS — Zale Corporation, a specialty retailer of diamond and other jewelry products, has elected former Signet CEO Terry Burman as a director and as chairman of the board. John B. Lowe Jr., who has served as chairman for the past five years, will remain on the board.

LAS VEGAS — The International Council of Shopping Centers has elected David J. LaRue, president and CEO of Forest City Enterprises, to serve as the association’s chairman for the 2013–2014 term. LaRue assumed his role as chairman at RECon, ICSC’s annual meeting in Las Vegas. 

LaRue is the association’s 54th chairman, succeeding Brad Hutensky, president and principal of Hutensky Capital Partners.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid announced the election of former Blue Shield of California president, chairman and CEO Bruce Bodaken to its board of directors. 

Former Nike executive Tony Moralejo has been appointed chief development officer at Church’s Chicken. Moralejo will be responsible for domestic and international expansion for the global chicken chain, as well as franchising, re-imaging, construction and real estate management. 

He will report directly to president and CEO Jim Hyatt and will be a member of the brand’s executive team.

RACINE, Wis. — Fisk Johnson, SC Johnson's chairman and CEO, has been named "Friend of the Library" by the Racine Public Library. Johnson received the award for sponsoring the Racine Reads: Dream Big! program during the 2011-2012 school year. 

The program challenged 10,000 local elementary school students to read 1 million books during the school year — an average of 100 books per child. Students rose to the challenge, by more than quadrupling the national average, by reading 180 books per student and 1.8 million books in total. 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Body Central Corp., a multichannel, specialty retailer that offers on-trend apparel and accessories at value prices, has appointed Donna R. Ecton as non-executive chairman of the board. Ecton has been a director of Body Central Corp. since May 2011.

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — PCI Security Standards Council has appointed representatives from retail merchants such as Walmart, Woolworths Limited and Starbucks, as well as from the Retail Solution Providers Association, to its board of advisors.

The open, global forum for the development of payment card security standards is looking to its board to provide counsel to SSC leadership. 

TOLEDO, Ohio — Hickory Farms, a leading provider of specialty foods and holiday food gifts, has made changes to its executive team.

The company has promoted VP of brand marketing Michael Holton to CMO. VP of supply chain Joe Loch has been promoted to VP of franchise and retail sales. Director of logistics Ty Hanline has been promoted to VP of supply chain. The company has also hired Davenport, Hanf & Company executive Joe Herman to be its interim CFO.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Interactive multichannel retailer HSNi has promoted Judy Schmeling to COO and CFO. Schmeling has served as HSNi's EVP and CFO since 2001. In her new role, she will be responsible for supply chain operations and customer care functions in addition to providing ongoing leadership for finance and information technology. 

LOS ANGELES — Mike Pollard, retired VP of Costco Wholesale, has joined the board of directors of Abbyson Living, which manufactures and imports living room, dining and bedroom furniture.

Pollard retired from Costco Wholesale in 2013 after a 27-year career. Abbyson Living will look to Pollard for his guidance regarding comprehensive business practices that will directly impact the company’s growth and further mature the value of the brand.