Collective Brands names new senior vp, human resources

TOPEKA, Kan. Collective Brands announced that its board of directors has elected Betty Click as senior vp, human resources for the company, effective Aug. 3, 2008. Click succeeds Jay Lentz, who served in the role since 2001, and who will retire Aug. 1 after more than 20 years in various HR roles for the company.

"We are pleased to announce Betty Click as our new senior vice president of human resources," said Matthew Rubel, chairman and ceo of Collective Brands. "Our people are the key to our success and Betty has been integral in leading our human resource efforts as our company has quickly evolved from a retail company to a high-performance organization with three strategic units covering wholesale, retail and licensing businesses with dynamic and varying needs ... We look forward to her continued positive impact and HR leadership as we continue to grow and expand our company's presence in the global market."

Click joined Payless in 2002 as vp, HR solutions, responsible for recruiting, staffing, organizational development, learning, development, compensation and benefits. In 2005, she was named to vp, HR operations and learning and development, where she led the HR generalist team that consults on HR and talent management strategies supporting the retail operations and global sourcing and supply chain teams for Collective Brands, Inc., two of the largest shared functions of the organization.

Prior to joining Payless, since 1987, Click was at Verizon Communications and the former GTE, where she served in a range of HR roles to support the company in its evolution and expansion. Click also served in various other roles of increasing responsibility within and outside of HR during her tenure at GTE.