Jackson to head Best Buy's operating groups

MINNEAPOLIS Best Buy Wednesday announced that Darren Jackson, cfo of the company, will fill the newly created position of evp of customer operating groups. In this role, Jackson leads Best Buy's entertainment, PC mobility and home solutions operating groups and also has oversight for enterprise merchandising. Best Buy Financial Services, Best Buy For Business, Magnolia Audio Video and Pacific Sales will continue to report to Jackson.

Jackson began his retail career with Carson Pirie Scott & Co. in Milwaukee, holding various executive positions, including chief financial officer. He then spent three years with the Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. as vice president and chief financial officer of its full-line store division. Jackson serves on the board of Advance Auto Parts. In his new capacity, Jackson reports to Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and coo.

"Best Buy has benefited greatly from Darren's leadership and insight as cfo. His deep-seated understanding of our business, coupled with his commitment to our culture and the development of our people, makes him a driving force in the next phase of Best Buy's growth," said Dunn. "Darren's desire to refocus his leadership from finance to running our customer operating groups allows us to gain more clarity and accountability around the significant opportunities in front of us. Darren plays a critical role as he brings teams together to create opportunities to share expertise, create targeted solutions and ultimately drive growth by better meeting the needs of the unique customer groups within each of these brands and businesses."