Human Resources

Coty CEO Michele Scannavini has stepped down from his role at the company for personal reasons and resigned from Coty's board.

Coty's chairman, Bart Becht, will become interim CEO, working with Coty's executive committee to ensure a smooth transition and oversee major decisions at the company. The company plans to immediately begin its search for Scannavini's permanent successor. Becht will remain as chairman of the company once a permanent successor has been appointed.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s said it plans to hire about 86,000 seasonal associates for its Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers and distribution and fulfillment centers for the 2014 holiday season, an increase of about 3.6% from 2013.

In particular, Macy’s said, its seasonal workforce has grown in recent years in the company’s network of online fulfillment centers in support of increased sales generated by the company’s omnichannel business strategy.

Broadening responsibilities at a business brings with it an exponential increase in worries. And retail is no exception.

The Pep Boys president, CEO and director Mike Odell has resigned. Director John Sweetwood has been named interim CEO, effective immediately.

Sweetwood has served on Pep Boys’ board of directors since 2002 and is currently the president of Woods Investment, LLC, a private real estate investment firm. Sweetwood is the former president of the Americas Six Continents Hotels (currently Intercontinental Hotel Group), which operates hotels under the InterContinental, Crown Plaza, Holiday Inn and other brands.

Strategist, adviser, communicator, futurist: Retail chief financial officers have seen their role broaden so much in recent years that, in some cases, they have become virtual partners with the CEO. Once responsible primarily for financial stewardship, the CFO is embracing a growing number of additional roles encompassing strategic planning, technology and perhaps even a bit of crystal ball gazing.

As the traditional CFO role expands beyond accounting and compliance to a more strategic role and partner to the CEO, the capabilities that future CFOs will need to bring to the table are also evolving.

Curbing the rising cost of utilities can improve the bottom line

For multi-site retail companies, energy efficiency makes business sense. It allows retailers to reduce cost and risk, and create good will with investors, employees, customers and the government. Ultimately, it also helps improve the bottom line.

When it comes to energy management, reducing operating cost should be the focus where the cost of energy is a sizeable part of operating the business.

A week after Gordon Brothers Group — a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors — tapped a new CEO, the company promoted Frank Grimaldi to national sales manager of the firm’s valuation and advisory services division.