Hudson, Ohio — JOANN, the nation’s category leader in fabric and sewing and one of the fastest growing competitors in the arts and crafts industry, has appointed Michael Prendergast, a managing director in Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group, as acting chief executive officer of JOANN. Prendergast is an experienced executive who has helped companies transform successfully and has served as an interim leader for other retailers.
Chris DiTullio and Scott Sekella, who served as co-leads of the interim office of the CEO since May 2023 and led JOANN through a successful and expeditious Chapter 11 process, will continue their leadership as chief customer officer and chief financial officer, respectively. A search for a permanent CEO is under way.
Prendergast is a managing director with Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group in New York. He brings over 20 years of leadership experience from the fashion and consumer products industries. He has a proven track record working across all major retail segments including wholesale, retail and e-commerce and is an expert in the successful operation of processes throughout the supply chain (from product concept design through delivery to customer). He has extensive experience in merchandising, sourcing, marketing, sales force optimization and customer retention.
From a single storefront in Cleveland, Ohio, more than 80 years ago, JOANN has grown to include more than 800 store locations across 49 states.
SOURCE: JOANN