Labor & Employment

CARY, N.C. — The Pantry, a leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., has appointed former Dollar General executive Kathleen Guion to its board of directors.

DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark will award college scholarships totaling $1.26 million to 63 children of K-C employees across 17 states and Canada as part of its Bright Futures program.

Bright Futures scholarship grants are worth up to $20,000, or $5,000 per school year, for full-time students attending accredited colleges and universities. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $35 million in scholarships to more than 1,800 students.

Brussels, Belgium -- Global supermarket operator Delhaize Group, whose U.S. divisions include Food Lion and Hannaford Bros., has named Maura Smith as executive VP, general counsel and general secretary. Smith formerly served as executive VP of government affairs, general counsel and secretary of PepsiCo and has 30 years of corporate legal experience.

Smith will report to CEO Pierre-Olivier Beckers and is succeeding Michael Wallers, who is entering a planned retirement.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. is shaking up its senior management team with five promotions and two new appointments. John Culver, head of the China-Asia Pacific region with more than 10 years of Starbucks experience, is being promoted to group president, China and Asia Pacific (CAP), channel development and emerging brands. Jeff Hansberry, a three-year Starbucks veteran who has worked on the channel development and emerging brands team, is being promoted to president of China and Asia Pacific and will report to Culver.

By Douglas H. Meal, David T. Cohen, and Lisa L. Rachlin, Ropes & Gray LLP

Retailers, like all businesses, constantly seek to learn more about their customers in order to serve them better. In Tyler v. Michaels Stores, however, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that a simple step taken by many retailers to help achieve this goal – collecting the ZIP codes of their customers at the point of sale – can in some circumstances violate Massachusetts’ consumer protection statute.
   

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Nike has promoted VP Michael Spillane to VP and GM of Nike’s Greater China geography effective June 1. 

Spillane was most recently the CEO and president of Umbro, which Nike divested of last year. Spillane replaces Craig Cheek who will move to a global role as VP and GM of Nike’s Young Athletes, where he will oversee strategy and drive growth supporting the company’s key categories around the world.

Walmart’s commitment earlier this year to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years prompted the USO to award Walmart U.S. COO Gisel Ruiz its 2013 Woman of the Year Distinguished Service Award.

Ruiz was presented with the award at the USO’s 47th annual luncheon where she said the honor was humbling and a surprise.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Deliv, the same-day, low cost delivery service that partners directly with large retailers, has appointed former Amazon progressive supply chain executive Michael Hart to VP of logistics.

Hudson, Ohio — Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has hired former Disney and J.C. Penney’s executive Kris Arabia as VP of product development. Arabia will report to senior VP and chief marketing and merchandising officer Riddianne Kline.
 

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- To support its strong growth and fill current vacancies, Dollar General is planning to hire 10,000 employees in May for its store and distribution center locations. Career fairs to recruit candidates will be held throughout the month in the 40 states the company serves.