Serta International CEO steps down
Serta Simmons Holdings has announced that Bob Sherman, CEO of National Bedding Company (doing business as Serta International), has decided to leave the company to pursue other interests, effective immediately.
The company stated that during his 25-year tenure, Sherman drove a combination of groundbreaking product innovation, strong customer relationships and operational excellence that led Serta to become the top mattress brand in the United States.
Among the many accomplishments under his leadership, Serta’s “Counting Sheep” advertising campaign was named Advertising Icon of the Year in 2008 and Serta’s revolutionary iComfort product line set an industry record by being the fastest brand to reach $1 billion in retail sales. His career in bedding spans 45 years, from delivering mattresses in his home state of Minn. at age 16 to leading the mattress brand.
Also leaving the company is SVP of marketing and merchandising Barbara Bradford. Bradford has 42 years of industry experience and is Sherman’s wife. Bradford played a key role in the development of the iComfort series and was responsible for developing Serta’s branded collections, including Trump Home.
“Bob has been a true leader in the mattress industry,” said David Swift, the company’s chairman. “On his path to building the leading brand in the mattress business, he also delivered one of the most successful product launches and some of the most successful marketing campaigns in history. We thank Bob for creating such a strong and lasting brand in Serta, and we’ll endeavor to build upon his legacy as we move forward.”
Gary Fazio, the current CEO of Simmons Bedding Company, will become the CEO of the Serta Simmons Holdings. He will be responsible for overseeing both the Serta and Simmons businesses, which will continue to maintain separate product development, marketing and sales divisions.
Fazio has 41 years of bedding manufacturing and retail experience. He joined Simmons in 2010 after the company’s restructuring. Prior to joining Simmons, he was the CEO of Mattress Firm for nine years before being named chairman in 2010.
“We have great people at Serta and Simmons. Together we will continue to lead the industry delivering innovative products, investing in all of our brands and providing differentiated services to our channel partners and end consumers,” said Fazio.