Labor & Employment

New York – Anthony Ludru has been named senior VP of North America by Tiffany & Co.

Ledru, 40, has luxury industry experience including with Cartier in Latin America and the U.S., as well as serving as global VP of sales with Harry Winston International.

“As a member of the senior management team, Anthony will drive sales results in our largest region, composed of the United States and Canada, while contributing a key voice to the articulation of the global brand.,” said Tiffany executive VP Frederic Cumenal.

New York -- Foot Locker Inc. has appointed Paulette Alvitti as senior VP and chief human resources officer. Alvitti will begin her new role on June 3 and oversee the development and delivery of global human resources, including compensation and benefits, organization and executive development/succession planning, employee engagement, talent management, human resources management systems, and corporate communications. She comes to Foot Locker from PepsiCo, where she spent 17 years, most recently serving as senior VP and chief human resources officer at PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. has appointed former Cartier executive Anthony Ledru as the company’s SVP of Northern America.

“As a member of the senior management team, Anthony will drive sales results in our largest region, composed of the United States and Canada, while contributing a key voice to the articulation of the global brand,” said EVP Frederic Cumenal.

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has appointed former PepsiCo human resources executive Paulette Alviti as the company’s SVP and chief human resources officer. 

Alviti has an extensive background in human resources, both domestically and internationally, with experience in organizational capability and training, talent acquisition and development, employee engagement and communications for the corporate office and field organization.

IRVINE, Calif. — Tilly’s comparable store sales for March and April improved over February for the first quarter ended May 4, buoyed partly by the spring break and pre-Easter periods.

The company’s total net sales were $109 million, an increase of 13% from $96,524 for the first quarter ended April 28, 2012. Comparable store sales, which include e-commerce sales, increased 1.1% compared to the first quarter of 2012. E-commerce sales were $12.6 million, an increase of 16% compared to the first quarter of 2012.

New York -- Consumer confidence climbed to the highest level in more than five years, according to The Conference Board. The group’s closely-watched sentiment index rose to 76.2 in May, the highest since February 2008, and up from a reading of 69.0 in April.

The expectations index jumped to 82.4 in May from 74.3 in April to mark the highest level in seven months. The present situation index rose to 66.7 from 61.0. The share of consumers expecting more jobs to open in the next six months increased to a five-month high.

Merrimack, N.H. -- Brookstone announced the appointment of William E. Watts as the company's new executive chairman of the company's board of directors, effective immediately.

Watts has been a partner of J.W. Childs Associates since June 2001. Previously, he was president and CEO of GNC from 1991 until 2001.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart has launched an initiative to hire any honorably discharged US military veteran within the first 12 months after they have been on active duty. Through a program dubbed Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, Wal-Mart anticipates hiring more than 100,000 veterans by 2018.

Cincinnati – Former CEO A.G. Lafley, 65, is returning to Procter & Gamble in his former position. Lafley is assuming the role of CEO, president and chairman of the board immediately, and will replace current CEO Bob McDonald, who is retiring June 30. Procter & Gamble has been involved in restructuring efforts, including thousands of layoffs, for the past year and a half.