Labor & Employment

WASHINGTON — The Retail Industry Leaders Association announced that Louis D'Ambrosio, president and CEO of Sears Holdings and Joseph DePinto, president and CEO of 7-Eleven, have been named to its board of directors.

Austin -- Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb told investors at a Jefferies Global Consumer Conference that the now-300-store chain is expected to grow to 1,000 stores in the United States.

The organic grocer sees opportunity in Canada as well, and Robb said it expects to grow its store count there from six to 35.

New York City -- A report released Thursday by The Conference Board said that the rate of dismissal of CEOs in the S&P 500 due to disciplinary actions has increased in recent years, while 25% of boards of directors facing a chief executive succession have opted for an outside hire.

According to the 2011 CEO Succession Report, 51 CEOs in the S&P 500 left their post in 2010, making the rate of CEO succession approximately 10%, consistent with the average number of annual succession announcements from 2000 through 2009.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation announced that it has sent a letter supporting Section 18 of H.R. 1249, the America Invents Act from NRF SVP government relations David French to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., and other members of the committee. 

SALT LAKE CITY — O.co, formerly Overstock.com, announced that its CEO, Dr. Patrick Byrne, was named executive of the year at the 2011 American Business Awards. O.co was also named best overall company (up to 2,500 employees).

"This is a great achievement for O.co," Byrne said. "I thank and applaud all my colleagues on this great achievement."

LOS ANGELES — Guess? Inc. has announced that Maurice Marciano, the company's co-founder and chairman of its board of directors, has notified the company of his decision to retire as an executive officer when his current employment agreement expires on Jan. 28, 2012, the end of the company's current fiscal year.  Marciano will continue to serve the company as non-rxecutive chairman of its board of directors.

London -- A Tuesday report by Bloomberg said that the COO of Wal-Mart’s Asda supermarket unit has quit after just six months in the position.

Bloomberg, which sourced a report in the Daily Telegraph, said that Simon King, a former head of Tesco PLC’s Turkish operations, left immediately. No successor has yet been named.

Los Angeles -- Guess announced Monday that its co-founder and chairman Maurice Marciano will retire as chairman in January 2012, at the end of the company’s fiscal year.

Marciano will continue as non-executive chairman of Guess' board of directors, and the company will retain him for two years as a consultant.

Marciano, who hails from southern France and with his brothers founded Guess in 1981, was CEO and co-CEO from 1993 to 2007.