International Business

Lakewood, Colo. -- Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, whose banners include Einstein Bros., Bagels, Noah's New York Bagels, and Manhattan Bagel brands, has agreed to be acquired by JAB Holding Company for approximately $374 million.

The agreement, unanimously approved by Einstein Noah Restaurant Group’s directors, represents a premium of approximately 47% over Einstein Noah’s 30-day average trading price.

London – A group of U.K. retailers led by W.M. Morrison Supermarkets plc is reportedly seeking to extend the time period for which it can claim antitrust damages against MasterCard from 2006 to 1992. According to Bloomberg, this could add as much as $1.6 billion to the damages the retailers are seeking.

The H&M Conscious Foundation, an independent nonprofit global foundation initiated by H&M to drive long-lasting positive change for people and communities, has partnered with WaterAid to bring safe water and toilets to a quarter million students in some of the world's poorest countries by 2017.

Fashion model and H&M Conscious Foundation ambassador Alek Wek was joined on stage at the Global Citizen Festival by H&M Conscious Foundation global manager Helena Thybell to present the foundation's flagship program with WaterAid.

E-commerce technology company Qubit has announced a $26m Series B investment led by Accel Partners, with participation from original investor Balderton Capital and Salesforce Ventures, Salesforce.com's corporate investment group.

Qubit's personalization platform collects detailed information about users' interactions with a website and analyses it to identify patterns of behavior that drive revenue and inspire business-wide optimization decisions.

Alpharetta, Ga. - McAlister's Deli has signed an agreement with new franchise group MidSouth Hospitality Inc. to open 10 locations in Middle Tennessee. Led by McAlister's veteran Charles Corley, MidSouth Hospitality will be opening its first McAlister's in early 2015.

The newly formed company plans to open a total of 10 new restaurants during the next seven years.

Dallas – The Container Store has hired Pete Lodwick as VP and general counsel. Lodwick will lead both internal and external teams responsible for legal strategy, regulatory affairs, and corporate compliance.

Prior to joining The Container Store, Lodwick practiced for 34 years at the Dallas-based law firm Thompson & Knight in the corporate and securities department.

With the retail CFO’s role evolving so quickly in the last few years, what changes will the future bring? Look for CFOs to be hired from outside the company, oversee more divisions and spend significant time overseas in an increasingly global retail world.

The finance function, of course, will continue to be critical, especially for public companies.

Also the CFO role may encroach further on operations, particularly in an era of consolidation — store closures necessitated by mergers likely will fall under the domain of the CFO.

Aussie apparel brand Cotton On is as much about fun-fashion as it is about fast-fashion. The Geelong, Victoria-based brand operates more stores in the United States (124) than Zara and Uniqlo combined, and is an international behemoth with more than 1,300 stores operating globally under 10 different banners, including the 522-unit Cotton On, Cotton Body, Cotton On Kids, FREE by Cotton On and Rubi Shoes.

Growth has been fast and strategic, but peppered with humor, optimism and the occasional dose of controversy.