Labor & Employment

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Retail real estate industry executive Jonathon Graub has joined A&G Realty Partners, a leading commercial real estate, advisory and investment group, as principal. Graub will advise A&G Realty’s retail clients on strategic growth opportunities and assist with their real estate operations.

Chicago -- Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services said it has named Stephen Rachman as regional manager of its Chicago O’Hare office.

Rachman began his career at Marcus & Millichap in 2002 as an agent in the firm’s Chicago O’Hare office and, in 2004, relocated to the Chicago Downtown office. Named senior associate in 2005, and then VP investments in March 2013, Rachman returned to the Chicago O’Hare office in March.
 

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced that it has named Liz Zale as senior VP in a newly created role overseeing corporate affairs and communications, effective May 1.  

Zale's responsibilities will include supervision of Simon’s investor relations, public relations, corporate communications, and government relations functions.
 
She previously served as senior VP investor relations for Nielsen Holdings.

New York -- Christopher Finazzo, 57, who was an executive VP and chief merchandising officer at Aeropostale, was found guilty on Thursday of 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the fraud convictions and up to five years for the conspiracy charge.
      
The jury took less than five hours to reach the verdict, which came after a three-week criminal trial in Brooklyn, N.Y.
     

NEW YORK — CIT Group, a leading provider of financing and advisory services to small businesses and middle market companies, has named Todd Harrington Northeast regional sales manager of CIT Trade Finance.

He will report to Marc Heller, Northeast regional manager and international manager of CIT Trade Finance.

Minneapolis — Supervalu has elected Rite Aid chairman, president and CEO John Standley and Cerberus COO and general counsel Mark A. Neporent to its board of directors.


Standley has spent the past 20 years in executive leadership roles in the grocery and pharmacy retail business. He became Rite Aid Corporation’s president and COO in September 2008, was appointed to the Rite Aid board of directors in 2009 and was named CEO in June 2010. He was elected chairman of Rite Aid’s board of directors in June 2012.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Annie's, a leading natural and organic food company, has appointed Ed Aaron to the newly created position of SVP of strategic planning and investor relations.

SEATTLE — Starbucks reported that its second-quarter profit rose 26% to $390.4 million, up from $309.9 million last year, amid sales increases in the Americas and Asia regions.

Total net revenue for the quarter ended March 31 rose 11% to $3.56 billion, not quite the $3.58 billion Wall Street expected. Global same-store store sales grew 6%, driven by a 4% increase in traffic and a 2% increase in average ticket, marking the 13th consecutive quarter of global comp growth greater than 5%.