Corporate Governance

Hhgregg has completed its search for a permanent CEO by giving interim chief Robert Riesbeck the long-term nod.   Riesbeck has held the interim title since February, when then-CEO Dennis May tendered his resignation. Now, with the top position becoming permanent, Riesbeck will give up his CFO title and the company will launch a new search for a replacement.  

The man behind Under Armour has big plans for Baltimore -- so big, in fact, that local leaders say his ideas could revitalize the city, or not.   Click here for more.

Smoothie operator Tropical Smoothie Café has refreshed its brand by blending a coastal atmosphere and elevated customer experience – with plans to take the new look and feel to locations nationwide.   "As Tropical Smoothie Cafe continued growing and evolving over the past several years, it became obvious to us that our brand's image needed to follow suit,” said Mike Rotondo, CEO. The company launched the rebranding via a new restaurant design that it plans to introduce to new and existing stores.

Kristin Campbell is executive VP and general counsel for Hilton Worldwide Holdings, but it’s her prior office supply retail experience that motivated Office Depot to proffer a seat on the board.   Prior to joining Hilton, Campbell spent 18 years at Staples, where she was most recently senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary.  

Construction spending in the retail sector saw a dip in June, according to a report by the Associated General Contractors of America, but the first half of the year recorded an overall gain.   Commercial (which includes retail, warehouse and farm) construction declined 1.6% in June, per the report, but climbed 8.6% year-to-date. Association officials said spending appears to have leveled off after a strong early start to the year prompted by mild winter weather conditions in many parts of the country.  

In its search to find the right financial overseer, Destination Maternity Corp. didn’t have to look any farther than the auto parts industry.   On Monday, the maternity apparel retailer named David Stern, former CFO of Pep Boys – Manny, Moe and Jack, as executive VP and CFO, charged with leading the finance and accounting, real estate, loss prevention and procurement areas of the company.   Stern will report to CEO Anthony Romano.  

Mike McNamara isn’t shy about making changes.   Target Corp.’s chief information officer has launched a hiring spree aimed at turning Target into an engineering powerhouse.   Click here for more. 

Target Corp. continues to expand its presence in New York City.

One of the earliest adopters of the build-your-own pizza concept has notched North Louisiana in its expansion belt.   PizzaRev, the fast-casual pizza banner backed by Buffalo Wild Wings, announced that a franchise agreement has been signed to develop the chain throughout the northern part of Louisiana. Franchisees are lrestaurateurs Cassidy King and Mark Florsheim.  

Steve Tanger is more than CEO of outlet giant Tanger Factory Outlet Centers – he is also an effective talking head.     Tanger appeared as a featured guest on CNBC's "Mad Money with Jim Cramer" on Thursday, July 28, and talked about the consistent strength of the outlet market despite a volatile retail industry.