Trading Partners

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Mattel has announced that Robert A. Eckert, 57, will retire as CEO, after 11 years with the company, effective Dec. 31. The board of directors has named Bryan G. Stockton, 58, who has held the position of chief operating officer for the last year, to succeed Eckert as CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2012. Eckert has agreed to continue in his role as chairman of the board, and the board has elected Stockton as a member of the board, effective January 1, 2012.

New York City -- Mattress Firm Holding Corp. raised about $105.6 million after pricing its initial public offering at the top of its expected range.

The retailer priced the IPO of 5.6 million shares at $19 each. It had expected shares to sell initially for $17 to $19 each.

Mattress Firm said it will use most of the offering's net proceeds — about $95 million after expenses — to repay $84.4 million in debt and pay fees to its biggest shareholder, Boston private equity firm J.W. Childs.

BUENOS AIRES  — Ezequiel Gómez Berard, CEO of Walmart Argentina, joined the Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Industry Minister Débora Giorigi, Economy Minister (Vice President elected) Amado Boudou, Osvaldo Mosteirin, Walmart Argentina CAO; Horacio Barbeito, Walmart Argentina CMO, and Hernán Carboni, Walmart director of corporate affairs, in the office of the Argentine President to discuss Walmart's progress in Argentina.

Pittsburgh -- Giant Eagle announced that its Board of Directors has named Laura Shapira Karet to serve as the company's CEO, and John Lucot to serve as the company's president and COO, effective January 9, 2012.

Karet, 42, will succeed her father David Shapira, who will assume the position of executive chairman of Giant Eagle's Board of Directors.  Shapira has served the privately-held, family-owned company for 41 of its 80 year-history, and has been CEO since 1980.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot announced that Steve Schmidt has been named president international. Schmidt, who previously served as EVP corporate strategy and new business development, will continue to report to Neil Austrian, chairman and CEO of Office Depot.

Schmidt will oversee Office Depot’s multichannel (contract, direct and retail) international business that sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 56 countries outside of the U.S. and Canada.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s announced that it has named Eric Wiseman, president and CEO of apparel manufacturer VF Corp., to its board of directors. Wiseman will serve on the board’s compensation and governance committees. 

Wiseman has been CEO of VF Corp., whose brands include The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Wrangler, since January 2008. Before being named CEO, Wiseman served as president and chief operating officer from 2006 to 2007, responsible for VF’s global business and day-to-day operations.

WASHINGTON — Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has announced the appointment of Jennifer Kaleda as VP industry affairs, operational effectiveness.

ST. LOUIS — Ralcorp Holdings announced that Terence Block will serve as president and COO of Post Holdings Inc., effective January 1, 2012 . Block will also join the board of directors of Post Holdings following completion of the separation of the Ralcorp and Post cereal business.