Executives on the Move: Michaels looks ahead, Sysco CEO hunts success

The new year is officially in full swing, and companies are unveiling big plans for the rest of 2020. In the process, they’re finding new faces to lead the way.

Here are the latest executive changes.

Walmart veteran hopes to craft Michaels comeback
How do you keep a winning team together? The Kansas City Chiefs are asking themselves that question following a banner year, and Walmart is, too.

After its stock surged in 2019, the retail juggernaut has been saying goodbye to some of its biggest stars. Last fall, it was announced that Greg Foran, CEO of Walmart U.S., would leave the company to head up Air New Zealand Ltd.

Now, another departure has come as Ashley Buchanan, EVP, Chief Merchant and COO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, leaves to rebuild Michaels Stores as the chain’s President and CEO.

It’s been a rocky road for Michaels lately. While the arts and crafts retailer purchased several locations from its fading rival A.C. Moore, it’s working with a considerable debt burden and falling sales.

So far, Michaels is forging ahead with a DIY maker-centric plan. In the meantime, the company is looking to Buchanan to recreate some of his predecessor’s magic.

Food distributor’s new CEO hungry for success
Sysco is starting the decade with several bold moves. The leading food distributor just introduced its own plant-based burger and announced it will farm out some of its customer service to reduce costs.

Leading the charge will be new CEO Kevin Hourican. Formerly the President of CVS Pharmacy and EVP of CVS Health Corporation, Hourican has a deep supply chain and logistics background and has done stints  at Macy’s and Sears.

He replaces outgoing CEO Tom Bené, who will receive $6 million in severance.

J.Crew CEO not so secret anymore
The wait is over at J.Crew. More than a year after former CEO James Brett exited, the company has finally named a replacement. Jan Singer assumed the role Feb. 2

Singer brings significant retail experience to the role, with prior stints as the CEO of Spanx and, until recently, Victoria’s Secret. Singer also spent 10 years as a VP at Nike.

Singer is expected to chart a new course for J.Crew as the struggling brand attempts to regain relevance and bounce back from spiraling sales. The company plans to take its younger and more promising brand Madewell public this year in an effort to restructure itself. 

More executives on the move...

• Konstantinos Apostolatos is now Senior Partner, Global Strategy and Top-Line Transformation Practice, Kearney.
• Erica Arnold is now COO, Aviva plc.
• Ralph Andretta is now President and CEO, Alliance Data Systems Corporation.
• Christopher Baldwin is now Executive Chairman, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
• Andrei Baronov is now Co-Founder and EVP, Product Management and R&D, Veeam Software.
• Derek Benz is now Chief Information Security Officer, Coca-Cola Company.
• Stephane Biguet is now EVP and CFO, Schlumberger Ltd.
• Timothy Boyle is now Chairman, President and CEO, Columbia Sportswear Company.
• Thomas Bradley. Jr. is now SVP, Advisor Services Business, Charles Schwab Corporation.
• Lucy Brady is now Chief Digital Customer Engagement Officer, McDonald's Corporation.
• Kofi Bruce is now CFO, General Mills Inc.
• Diane Bryant is now Chairman and CEO, Neural Analytics, Inc.
• Joanne Burns is now Former SVP and Chief Strategy Officer, Cerner Corporation.
• Roland Busch is now Deputy CEO, CTO and Chief Human Resources Officer, Siemens AG.
• Vittorio Cretella is now CIO, Procter & Gamble Company.
• David Daly is now President and COO, PSEG Utilities and Clean Energy Ventures and Public Service Electric and Gas Company, Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.
• Lee Delaney is now CEO, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
• Robert Dennis is now Executive Chairman, Genesco Inc.
• Archana Deskus is now SVP and CIO, Intel Corporation.
• Petros Dermetzis is now EVP, Emerging Technology, Workday, Inc.
• David Doctorow is now CEO, Move Inc., News Corporation.
• Michael Egeck is now CEO, Leslie's Poolmart.
• Miguel Ángel Fernández Calero is now Global President, Avon, Natura &Co Holding S.A.
• Nancy Flores is now EVP, CIO and CTO, McKesson Corporation.
• Vincent Forlenza is now Chairman, Becton, Dickinson and Company.
• John Frenzel is now Director, Learning Health System, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
• Christian Garcia is now EVP and CFO, Weatherford International.
• Leslie Gillin is now CMO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Eric Hammes is now EVP, Enterprise Operations, 3M Company.
• Robert Haas is now Partner and Lead, Private Equity and M&A Global Practice, Americas, Kearney.
• Alegra Hare is now Former SVP and CMO, Gap Inc.
• Hanna Hennig is now CIO, Siemens AG.
• Charles Horn is now EVP and Vice Chairman, Alliance Data Systems Corporation.
• Kevin Hourican is now President and CEO, SYSCO Corporation.
• Garth Hankinson is now EVP and CFO, Constellation Brands Inc.
• Karl-Johan Persson is now Chairman-Elect, H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB.
• Brian Kesseler is now CEO, Tenneco Inc.
• David Khani is now CFO, EQT Corporation.
• Thomas Kingsbury is now Executive Chairman, Burlington Stores, Inc.
• Barbara Kinosky is now Managing Partner, Centre Law & Consulting.
• David Klein is now Chairman and CEO, Canopy Growth Corporation.
• William Largent is now Chairman and CEO, Veeam Software.
• Harry Lawton III is now President and CEO, Tractor Supply Company.
• Peter Leav is now CEO, McAfee LLC.
• Matthew Linderman is now SVP, Technology, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Joseph Lower is now CFO, AutoNation, Inc.
• Daniel McNamara is now SVP and General Manager, Server Business Unit, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Sathish Muthukrishnan is now Chief Information, Data and Digital Officer, Ally Financial Inc.
• Jonathan Myers is now EVP and COO, Avon, Natura &Co Holding S.A.
• Tracey Newell is now President, Global Field and Marketing Operations, Informatica Corporation.
• Thomas Ondrof is now EVP and CFO, Aramark Corporation.
• Baij Patel is now Director, Infrastructure and Technology, Europe, Twentieth Century Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Company.
• Himanshu Palsule is now President, Epicor Software Corporation.
• Denise Paulonis is now CFO (effective February 21, 2020), Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.
• Wayne Peacock is now President and CEO, United Services Automobile Association (USAA).
• Thomas Polen, Jr. is now President and CEO, Becton, Dickinson and Company.
• Yamini Rangan is now Chief Customer Officer, HubSpot, Inc.
• Amy Schwetz is now SVP and CFO (effective February 24, 2020), Flowserve Corporation.
• Arjun Sethi is now Partner and Vice Chair, Digital, Kearney.
• Sarah Smith is now Chair, Global Compliance, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
• Catie Starr is now VP, Growth Marketing, Opportunity Financial, LLC.
• James Thompson is now Chief Beauty and Brand Officer, Avon, Natura &Co Holding S.A.
• James Van Hoof is now CFO, Ionic Materials, Inc.
• Mimi Vaughn is now President and CEO, Genesco Inc.
• Todd Vogensen is now EVP and CFO, Party City Holdco Inc.
• Paul Von Autenried is now EVP and CIO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
• Jennifer Walter is now VP and CFO, Moog Inc.
• Joseph Zadeh is now Chief Stakeholder Officer, Airbnb, Inc.

Each executive featured here has an in-depth profile available on the Boardroom Insiders platform. Want access? Click here to learn more.