Corporate Governance

Niwot, Colo. -- Former Wal-Mart executive Greg Sullivan has been appointed general manager of Crocs' Americas region, which includes all of North America, Central America and South America. In this role, Sullivan will be responsible for managing the region's day-to-day operations, including overseeing sales, marketing, finance and human resources functions, as well as the region's wholesale, Internet and direct-to-consumer channels.

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple Inc. has hired a much-admired fashion industry veteran to run its retail stores. The company announced Tuesday that Angela Ahrendts, CEO of British luxury giant Burberry Group Plc, has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of retail and online stores. She will join Apple in the spring from Burberry.

At Apple Ahrendts, 53, will become a member of the executive team and report directly to CEO Tim Cook. She will be the first woman on Apple’s 10-member executive team.

Advantage Sales & Marketing has acquired food brokerage company Tri-Venture Marketing to expand its national footprint and enhance its capabilities across a range of fresh categories.

Advantage, already one of the nation’s leading providers of sales, marketing and third party merchandising support services to retailers and suppliers, will operate the new business as Advantage Tri-Venture and maintain the firm’s existing headquarters in Lakeland, Fl., which coincidentally is the hometown of leading southeastern supermarket operator Publix.

Sport Chalet has elected Miki R. Berardelli, CMO for Tory Burch, a women's fashion clothing and accessories company, to the company's board of directors.

Apple has announced that Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, will be joining the company as SVP of retail and online stores — a newly created position — and as a member of its executive team. Ahrendts will report to CEO Tim Cook.

Ahrendts will be charged with overseeing the strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores.

Casual footwear manufacturer Crocs has appointed former Walmart executive Greg Sullivan as the company’s general manager for the Americas region. The region encompasses North, Central and South America.

In his new role, Sullivan will be responsible for managing the region's day-to-day operations, including overseeing sales, marketing, finance and human resources functions, as well as the region's wholesale, internet and direct-to-consumer channels.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has appointed Paul D. O’Brien as the company’s president of the Asia Pacific region, a newly created position. O’Brien will report to president and CEO Brian P. Kelley.

The appointment coincides with current president of international business development Gerard Geoffrion’s announcement that he plans to retire at the end of calendar 2014.

O’Brien joins GMCR from Sara Lee Corporation, where he served as managing director of the Kitchens of Sara Lee Pty., based in Australia, since Nov. 2010.

Kmart is kicking off the holiday shopping season with the launch of a new lease-to-own program in time for Black Friday.

Kmart said it would launch the program through Whynot Leasing and make it available nationwide starting on Nov. 22. Sears, also part of parent company Sears Holdings, also is launching the program, making it available for more than 95 million items via Sears Marketplace, including electronics, home goods, jewelry and tools, as well as major brands and boutique items.

Walmart will be opening more small stores next year and beyond as the company pursues a vision of omnichannel retailing that it contends no other company is capable of executing.

Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon on Tuesday morning shared a message of physical and digital convergence involving an acceleration of smaller format stores and continued advancement of the retailer’s digital capabilities. He suggested multiple times during his presentation that the company has reached an inflection point in terms of building a next generation retail enterprise.

Johnson & Johnson saw its growth initiatives pay off in the third quarter and increased its earnings guidance for 2013.

The company had sales of $17.6 billion for the quarter, an increase of 3.1% as compared to the third quarter of 2012. Operational results increased 4.7% and the negative impact of currency was 1.6%. Domestic sales increased 1.7%. International sales increased 4.2%, reflecting operational growth of 7.1% and a negative currency impact of 2.9%.