Fort Worth, Texas — Pier 1 Imports, Inc. has appointed Douglas Diemoz — former CEO of Crate & Barrel — to the newly created role of president of Pier 1. Additionally, Robert Riesbeck has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer. Both positions are effective July 22, 2019. Riesbeck succeeds Deborah Rieger-Paganis, who has served as interim CFO since April 2019. Diemoz will be responsible for day-to-day operation and performance of Pier 1’s business. He joins Pier 1 with more than two decades of retail industry experience with …
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Oak Brook, Ill. — Let’s Pave, LLC, a leading national provider of specialized paving services and solutions, has hired veteran industry executive Jeff Lax to join the company as president and partner. Lax was most recently president and CEO of GemSeal Pavement Products, a leader in the production and distribution of high-quality pavement products. At Let’s Pave, Lax will work alongside C.B. Kuzlik, founder and CEO, to develop and execute the strategic plan for continued, aggressive growth of the company. Lax will also help lead the day-to-day activities of Let’s …
Louisville, Ky. — Papa John’s International, Inc. has appointed restaurant industry veteran Jim Norberg as its chief restaurant operations officer. He will oversee the operations of Papa John’s corporate and franchise restaurants in North America. Norberg, a QSR industry veteran, spent more than 30 years of his career at McDonald’s. His most recent role was executive vice president and chief operating officer, where he managed operations for 14,000 U.S. restaurants. During his time at McDonald’s, Norberg’s leadership was instrumental in unifying company and franchise operations around the brand’s messaging and …
San Francisco — Janet Hayes, president of the Williams Sonoma brand, is resigning from the company after 12 years of service on August 1, 2019. She will be succeeded by Ryan Ross, executive vice president of Emerging Brands with the company. “On behalf of the board and senior management team, I would like to thank Janet for her valuable contributions over her tenure at our company,” says Laura Alber, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s president and chief executive officer. “Her leadership of Williams Sonoma was instrumental to the brand’s success, significantly expanding its …
New Albany, Miss. — Standex Refrigerated Solutions Group (RSG) has named John Richardson as vice president of finance for the Refrigerated Solutions Group, effective June 24, 2019, reporting directly to Kevin Fink, president of RSG. In his new role, Richardson is responsible for all areas related to accounting, financial planning and analysis, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, tax, month-end cycle and IT support. Richardson is now working directly with the RSG leadership team to design and implement operational improvements and automation related to maximizing the financial and accounting efficiency of the …
New York City — Blink Fitness, a premium-quality, value-based fitness concept, has appointed franchising industry veteran Thomas Flaherty as president of franchising, a newly created position. In this role, Flaherty will oversee the entire franchise business, including directing the brand’s expansion across key markets in the United States and internationally. In his previous position as president and CEO of Agile Pursuits Franchising, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, Flaherty oversaw the Tide Dry Cleaners franchise and Mr. Clean Car Wash license. Flaherty helped to grow Tide Dry Cleaners …
Cincinnati — LSI Industries Inc., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of outdoor and indoor lighting and graphics for commercial, industrial and multi-site retail applications, has named a new national sales manager for retail national accounts: Doug Cotter. Cotter will work with distributors of LSI Industries’ lighting lines to expand lighting product sales, manage customer satisfaction, and provide distinguished service. Cotter will also work to expand product offerings to each of LSI Industries’ distributors, with a new focus on smart tools, digital, and safety and security products. Prior to joining LSI Industries, …
Moorestown, N.J. — Marla Ryan, by mutual agreement with Destination Maternity’s board of directors, stepped down as chief executive officer on June 13, 2019. Additionally, Destination Maternity has appointed Gene Davis to chairman of the board. Ryan will remain with the company to assist with the transition and will also assume a new role as president of product design, sourcing and merchandising. The Destination Maternity board has created an interim Office of the CEO, which will provide ongoing leadership and oversight of the day-to-day operations of the company while a …
Greensboro, N.C. — Craig Hanson has been named vice president of operations at Biscuitville Fresh Southern®. Hanson comes to Biscuitville with more than 15 years of experience with medium- and large-sized quick-service and fast-casual brands. His experience expands to brands that include MOD Pizza, Dunkin Brands, YUM Brands, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s to name a few. What has made him so successful in helping to steer the operational aspect of these brands is his belief that success ultimately comes from its people and culture. “Craig is a veteran of …
East Moline, Ill. — Greg Stak has been named vice president of sales at H.C. Duke & Son, LLC / Electro Freeze. He most recently held senior sales management positions for Vollrath Company at Stoelting Foodservice and in the Vollrath Foodservice Sales division. Stak’s experience includes working within a distributor network, national and regional dealers, as well as with major national chains. Stak is responsible for Electro Freeze customer service, marketing and sales. He will be developing new customers and promoting Electro Freeze products through established relationships and digital resources. “Greg’s …