C-Suite Moves: October update
Here are the major leadership changes that occurred during August, starting with the most recent. (All changes have already taken effect unless otherwise noted.)
•Peloton Interactive tapped the co-founder of Apple Fitness+ as its next chief executive. The interactive fitness company appointed Peter Stern as CEO and president effective Jan. 1, 2025.
•Shelly Ibach — Minnesota's longest tenured female leader of a public company — plans to retire as chair, president and CEO of Sleep Number, effective no later than the company's 2025 annual shareholders meeting. A search is underway for her successor.
•RJ Sheedy stepped down as president, CEO and board member of extreme-value grocer Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. Eric Lindberg, current chairman, has been appointed interim president and CEO, effective immediately, while the company searches for a permanent CEO.
•Build-A-Bear Workshop named Kim Utlaut as senior VP and chief brand officer. She joins the retailer from The Coca-Cola Company, where she spent more than 23 years in a variety of roles.
•Boot Barn appointed chief digital officer John Hazen as interim CEO, effective Nov. 22. He succeeds James Conroy who has served in the position since 2012 and is leaving to become the CEO of Ross Stores.
•James Conroy was named CEO of Ross Stores, succeeding 40-year company veteran Barbara Rentler, effective Feb. 2, 2025. Initially, Conroy will join the off-price retailer on Dec. 2 as CEO-elect, when he will also become a member of the board. Rentler will remain in an advisory role through March 31, 2027.
•Online luxury goods resale marketplace The RealReal appointed Rati Sahi Levesque, formerly president and COO, as president and CEO and as a member of the board. Levesque helped found The RealReal in 2011 and has served as the company’s COO for nearly six years.
•Follett Higher Education promoted Leann Fowler, senior VP of academic marketing & communications, to the role of chief marketing office. She is the first ever female chief marketer in the company’s 150-year history.
•Retail veteran Ken Hicks was named president and CEO of PetSmart, suceeding J.K. Symancyk who stepped down to take the top role at Signet Jewelers. Most recently, from May 2018 to June 2023, Hicks served as CEO of Academy Sports + Outdoors. Before joining Academy, Hicks served two stints as CEO of Foot Locker.
•Guitar Center appointed Mike Schultheis to the role of executive VP and chief stores officer. He joins the company from PetSmart, where he served in a variety of roles for nearly 15 years, most recently as senior VP of U.S. stores.
•David Joyner was named president and CEO of CVS Health, replacing Karen Lynch who left the company “in agreement with” the company’s board. Joyner was most recently executive VP, CVS Health, and president, CVS Caremark, leading the pharmacy services business.
•Seth Dallaire, who has served as Walmart’s chief revenue officer since 2021 after serving in the same position at Instacart, is assuming the newly created position of chief growth officer of Walmart U.S.
•The parent company of Edible Arrangements, the gifting brand famous for its fresh fruit arrangements which is now known as Edible, appointed Somia Farid Silber as its new chief executive, replacing founder and longtime leader Tariq Farid, who is her father.
•Upscale apparel brand Everlane named Alfred Chang as CEO. Most recently, from Feb 2023 to Jul 2024, he was CEO of Fear of God, an L.A.-based high-end streetwear brand. Prior to that, he spent 17 years at PacSun, including serving as co-CEO rom June 2021 to March 2023.
•J.K. Symancyk was tapped to succeed the retiring Virginia Drosos as CEO of Signet Jewelers. Symancyk joins the company, whose brands include Zales, Kay Jewelers amd Jared, from PetSmart, where he served as chief since 2018.
• Genesco Inc., the parent company of Journeys and other footwear brands, appointed Cassandra “Sandra” Harris as senior VP of finance and CFO. Most recently, Harris was recently CFO for Artisan Design Group. Prior to that she was the CFO and COO of Tupperware Brands (from 2019 to 2022).
