International Business

Whirlpool has promoted Joseph Liotine to president of the company's U.S. operations and appointed him to the corporation's executive committee. Liotine is currently VP of marketing for the company's North American region.

O’Connor Capital Partners, a privately owned, independent real estate investment, development and management firm, has named Glenn J. Rufrano as chairman and CEO.

Rufrano was a founding partner of the O’Connor Group, the firm’s original incarnation, and has served on the board since 2010. He has also acquired a full partnership stake in the firm.  

Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services firm specializing in turnaround and interim management, performance improvement and business advisory services, has hired Tom Phelps as a managing director. He will help retailers in the U.S. and worldwide improve business performance.  

Procter & Gamble has announced a string of organization changes, including the retirement of 37-year company veteran Dimitri Panayotopoulos, vice chairman and adviser to the chairman and CEO, effective Jan. 2, 2014.

Panayotopoulos joined P&G in 1977. He served in sales and general management roles spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, eventually overseeing all P&G brands as vice chair – Global Business Units. As previously announced, he was elected to his current role as advisor to the CEO effective July 1, 2013.

Fairfield, N.J. -- Amerlux CEO/president Chuck Campagna has announced that Chris McQuillan has joined the management team as VP of sales. Amerlux is a global leader in innovation, manufacturing and creative lighting solutions for a broad range of commercial, retail, hospitality and institutional environments.  

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela’s Inc. announced today plans to open a store in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. is scheduled to open in 2015, and will be located in a new development being developed by Cordova Realty. It will be Cabela’s first location in the greater Atlantic Canada area.

Less than a week after Office Depot and Officemax consummated their merger, the combined companies have a new chairman and CEO in former Delhaize America CEO Roland Smith.

In conjunction with the appointment of Smith, who also previously served as CEO of Wendy’s, the two CEOs of Office Depot and OfficeMax who were serving as co-CEOs of the combined company both resigned. Neil Austrian served as CEO of Office Depot and Ravi Saligram served as CEO of OfficeMax prior to the merger.

New York -- Sears Canada announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its 50% joint venture interest in eight properties it owns to Montez Income Properties Corp. for approximately $300 million (C$315 million). Sears’ joint venture partner in the properties is The Westcliff Group of Companies.

The company said it will sell its interests in four regional shopping centers, two strip centers and two open-air retail centers.

Washington, D.C. -- Women account for 18.4% of directors serving on the boards of the world's largest retail and consumer products companies globally, according to the latest Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) report on Women Board Directors of Top Retail and Consumer Products Companies Globally.

Oak Brook, Ill. – McDonald’s reported a slight 0.2% increase in U.S. same-store sales for October 2013. Same-store sales rose 0.5% globally, which also includes a 0.8% increase in Europe and a 2.8% decline in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.