C-suite changes at parent company of QVC, HSN

Qurate Retail Group, part of Qurate Retail, is losing a CFO and adding a new position in its C-suite.

The parent company of QVC, HSN, Zulily, Ballard Designs, Frontgate and other brands said that Jeffrey A. Davis, CFO, has resigned from the company, and is expected to remain for a transition period. James Hathaway has been named interim CFO.

Hathaway joined Qurate Retail Group in May 2021 as senior VP to lead finance for the company's largest reporting unit, QxH, serving as CFO for QVC US and HSN.

"Since joining us last year, Jim has demonstrated strong, hands-on leadership skills and the ability to leverage his financial and business acumen to drive focus and alignment across our flagship video commerce businesses in the U.S.," said David L. Rawlinson II, who took the reins as CEO of Qurate Retail last October. "Jim is passionate about growing effective teams, transforming culture, and inspiring accountability, which I have seen first-hand since I joined the organization.”

Separately, Qurate Retail Group said it has promoted William Hunter to the newly created role of chief transformation officer, whose  primary focus is to accelerate the implementation of “Project Athens.” Unveiled in June 2022, the  three-year plan is designed to stabilize revenue, expand adjusted OIBDA margin and generate incremental free cash flow.

Hunter previously served as  senior VP, business transformation & shared services, where he led a variety of key implementations, including a harmonized payroll platform for QVC and HSN.  

"We are accelerating the pace of change at Qurate Retail and Bill has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead initiatives that are important to our near- and long-term success," said Rawlinson. "Project Athens is the combination of five key pillars that span nearly every facet of our business. Bill's deep institutional knowledge of our core processes and his experience in global business transformation will be instrumental to the successful execution of this strategy."

Qurate Retail Group is made up QVC, HSN, Zulily, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road. It is the the largest player in video commerce ("vCommerce"), which includes video-driven shopping across linear television, e-commerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms.

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