Labor & Employment

MINNEAPOLIS  —Target announced that its chief marketing officer, Michael Francis, will serve as the executive committee sponsor of Target’s entrance into the Canadian market.  In this role, Francis will oversee the extension of Target’s brand as part of the corporation’s first-ever expansion of its stores beyond the United States, the company reported. 

Los Angeles -- BH Properties announced that Ronald J. Platisha has been promoted to the newly created position of COO.

Platisha will lead the organizational operations while building and maintaining relationships with financial institutions.

Platisha, a 30-year veteran in the commercial real estate industry, has served as CFO at BH Properties for the past four years.

Dow Jones this morning reported that South African retailer and Walmart takeover target Massmart Holdings has given assurances it will continue to honor all agreements with labor unions and local labor laws if the buyout goes through. That’s what Walmart and Massmart have been saying since the deal was announced last year but they have to keep saying it because union activists are everywhere in the world.

San Jose, Calif. -- SRS Real Estate Partners said it has opened the doors on its newest office in San Jose, Calif. The office, which specializes in project leasing and investment sales, includes the addition of five new senior VP’s -- Randol Y. Mackley, Bruce H. Frazer, Bob Quigley, Mark Thomas and Stephen Gazzera -- along with a new associate Peggy Owen.

They will be joined by Sarah Edwards, a senior associate from the company’s San Francisco office.   

New York City -- Though Walmart's desire to enter New York City is nothing new, its latest push shows that attitudes toward the retailer opening stores in the Big Apple are changing -- in Walmart's favor.

The company recently launched WalmartNYC.com, a "community forum for customers, associates, stakeholders and public officials who want to learn more about Walmart as it continues to evaluate opportunities across the city," according to a company press release.

Seattle -- Callison announced today that John Jastrem has been appointed as chairman and CEO of Callison. He replaces James P. Rothwell, who is stepping down as CEO and returning to his previous role as principal in the firm running its commercial design practice. Callison’s chairman Robert J. Tindall, is leaving the firm.

Jastrem has served on Callison’s Holdings board (Callison Architecture Holding, LLC and Subsidiaries) since 2006 and as its executive chairman since August 2010.

Atlanta -- Infor, a provider of business application software, announced that American Apparel has selected and implemented the company’s WFM Workbrain solution to manage the retailer’s global workforce.

NEW YORK -Tiffany & Co. announced that James Quinn will retire in early 2012. Quinn joined Tiffany in 1986 and has served as president since 2003, responsible for the company’s sales outside the Americas.