Labor & Employment

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola on Thursday announced that Geoffrey Kelly will be retiring from his post as SVP and general counsel.

Kelly, who joined the company in 1970, will retire in February 2012. He has served in the role of SVP and general counsel since 2005.

Succeeding Kelly is Bernhard Goepelt, who will take on the role of SVP general counsel and chief legal counsel, effective immediately. Kelly will remain SVP during a transition period, Coca-Cola noted.

NEW YORK — Duane Reade is set to put its signature “New York Living Made Easy” vision on full display on Friday with the unveiling of its expanded store located at 1657 Broadway in New York.

The new 24-hour location, which opened Friday, will serve as an amplification of the retailer’s continued rebranding and aggressive transformation initiatives to date.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced the appointment of Luke Petherbridge as senior VP capital markets. In this role, Petherbridge will be primarily responsible for capital raising, actively managing the balance sheet and maintaining strong lender relationships.

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners announced the hiring of Scott Landgraf as senior VP in the company’s Newport Beach, Calif., office.

Prior to joining SRS, Landgraf was senior VP at Colliers International.

Landgraf specializes in retail tenant representation and investment sales throughout southern California and the Inland Empire.
 

Los Angeles -- CBRE said Friday that Michael F. Smith has been promoted to president of the company’s Western Division. Smith, who has led CBRE’s San Francisco Bay area operations since 2002, succeeds Steven Swerdlow, who has been appointed COO of the Americas.

In his new role, Smith will direct CBRE’s operations in more than 46 offices in nine states, with responsibility for all lines of business. He will continue in his role as Bay Area market leader until a successor is named.
 

Garden City, N.Y. -- Sabre Real Estate Group said that Scott Sher has been named senior VP of the retail real estate brokerage firm.

Formerly director of real estate-northeastern region at Katz & Associates Corp., of Pearl River, Sher specializes in tenant and landlord representation in the New Jersey, Manhattan, Outer Boroughs, Westchester and Long Island markets.
 

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Ric Jurgens, chairman and CEO of Hy-Vee plans to retire on June 1, 2012.

Jurgens, said he will ask the company's board to elect Randy Edeker, president and COO, to succeed him.

New York -- Tiffany & Co.  announced that Stephane Lafay has been appointed to the newly-created position of group VP - Asia-Pacific Region and President - Tiffany Japan. 

Lafay, 46, joined Tiffany in 2009 as president of Tiffany’s Japan organization. A search is underway for a managing director of Japan who will report to Lafay. 

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday named Al Duran to the role of president of the company's Denver division. He replaces Scott Grimmett, who is leaving Safeway for an opportunity with a noncompeting food retailer, the company stated.

"Al's results-oriented leadership style and experience on both the retail and the marketing side of our business will serve him well in his new assignment," Safeway chairman, president and CEO Steve Burd said. "He is also a Colorado native and knows that market well."

Wal-Mart Stores' Mexican subsidiary, Walmex, is now part of the Mexican Stock Exchange's newly created Sustainable Index, the company reported.