Labor & Employment

Denver - The Running Specialty Group, part of The Finish Line Inc. organization, has appointed Bob Wallace as senior advisor, strategic initiatives. Wallace founded specialty running retail chain RunON, which Running Specialty Group purchased in 2012.

Wallace will serve as a key counselor to strategically plan and integrate growth opportunities surrounding industry trends while focusing on attaining operational excellence and being an ambassador to the running community. He entered the specialty running business in 1995.

Monroe, Mich. -- La-Z-Boy Incorporated announced the appointments of two executive officers. Doug Collier has been named senior VP of La-Z-Boy, chief marketing officer and president, international, and Darrell Edwards has been named senior VP of La-Z-Boy and chief supply chain officer.

Collier rejoined La-Z-Boy Incorporated in June 2007 after two years with Select Comfort as chief marketing officer and senior VP marketing. Prior to Select Comfort, Collier held various leadership positions at La-Z-Boy from 2002 through 2005.

Walmart’s seemingly endless Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation and mounting expenses drew the attention of the New York Times again this week which explored arcane legal issues that have muzzled a former Walmart lawyer.

Digital talent is a hot topic among retail CEOs today — primarily, where to find enough talent to develop the organization’s “digital DNA” at every level and in every area of the business. With digital talent within retail in short supply, we now have to proactively go further afield — whether in travel, finance, the tech industry or elsewhere — to identify and woo the digital experts our companies need to grow.

La-Z-Boy has named Doug Collier as SVP of La-Z-Boy Incorporated, chief marketing officer and president, international, and has named Darrell Edwards as SVP of La-Z-Boy Incorporated and chief supply chain officer.  

Collier rejoined La-Z-Boy in June 2007 after two years with Select Comfort as chief marketing officer and SVP of marketing. Prior to Select Comfort, Collier held various leadership positions at La-Z-Boy from 2002 through 2005, including VP of marketing and furniture galleries development.

The National Retail Federation has hired Mary Heitman as VP of retail programs.

Heitman previously served as director of events and deputy director of development for the Trust for the National Mall, where managed corporate sponsorships and events designed to increase donor engagement, identified and cultivated prospects and leveraged relationships in the government affairs and corporate community. Prior to the Trust for the National Mall, she owned and operated a private marketing and fundraising firm and served as finance director for the Republican National Committee.

As the holiday season approaches, many retailers will ramp up their staff to accommodate the increase in customers and other operational demands. However, in today’s era of widespread employment litigation, employers must be even more conscientious of the legal liabilities and practical consequences they face during this time of year.

Despite the fast-paced nature of the holiday rush, companies should still conduct their due diligence when screening new employees, whether they are long-term or seasonal.

Amazon has unveiled a new scholarship for college students in the U.S. Called the Amazon Student Scholarship, the merit-based scholarship will reward 50 full-time undergraduate students with $5,000 toward tuition and $500 to spend on textbooks on Amazon.

Applications are being accepted now, with the scholarship money distributed in time for fall semester 2015. Interested students can learn more at www.amazon.com/studentscholarship.

Keurig Green Mountain has appointed José Octavio Reyes Lagunes, retired vice chairman of The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, to its board of directors.

Fort Worth Texas – Hedge fund Standard General LP, RadioShack’s second-largest shareholder, is reportedly trying to negotiate a “rescue package” by obtaining debt and equity financing from outside investors. According Bloomberg, Standard General is also meeting with RadioShack management to create a plan that will let the retailer avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.