Labor & Employment

Archer Daniels Midland Company has appointed Juan R. Luciano the next CEO and also has elected him to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately.  Luciano previously served as company’s president and COO responsible for leading and running the company’s global operations.

Luciano succeeds Patricia Woertz, who will continue in the role of ADM’s chairman of the board and is expected to retire in May 2016.

By Jason Ausburn and Karl Fruecht   You’ve acquired a new storefront. While doing your final walk-through, you notice an unlocked door that opens to a side alley. You can’t use the alley for storage. It doesn’t give your customers an additional entrance. It’s just an additional access point.   How are you going to secure it?  

Brussels, Belgium -- Delhaize Group has signed an agreement to sell its Bottom Dollar Food stores to deep-discount grocer Aldi Inc. for approximately $15 million, including the assumption of associated lease liabilities. The transaction, which involves  66 Bottom Dollar stores in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets, is expected to result in an asset impairment and other charges for Delhaize Group of approximately $180 million.  

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. has named Jacqueline Hourigan Rice as senior VP, chief risk and compliance officer. Rice is a 17-year veteran of General Motors, where she most recently served as chief compliance officer.  

Jacqueline Hourigan Rice will join Target Dec. 1 as the retailer’s SVP of risk and compliance after holding a similar role at General Motors.

In her new role Rice will assume some responsibilities previously held by Ann Scovil who retired in March as vp of assurance, risk and compliance. Rice will also have responsibility for corporate security and Target’s suppliers. She will report directly to Target CEO Brian Cornell who joined the company in August.

Chicago -- The marketing chiefs of U.S. retailers are optimistic about the upcoming holiday season, forecasting a solid 4.1% increase in overall holiday store sales, according to a recent BDO USA survey. The projection is in line with the National Retail Federation’s 4.1% expected holiday sales increase, and is a full percentage point higher than actual retail sales gains in the 2013 season.

Patrick Spear has joined GMDC as president to fill a role previously held by the organization’s long-time CEO Dave McConnell.  Spear brings 25-plus years of experience in the consumer and office products industry to GMDC’s senior management team.  

By Lindsay Carlson,  Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP   Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.