True Value CEO lands a new job
Recruiting strategic talent remains a top priority for Bed Bath & Beyond even during the pandemic.
The home goods retailer has appointed John Hartmann as COO, effective May 18, 2020. Hartmann, who was also named president of the company’s buybuyBaby unit, will report directly to Bed Bath & Beyond president and CEO Mark Tritton, and be a key member of a streamlined senior leadership team.
Hartmann joins Bed Bath & Beyond from True Value Company, where he served as president and CEO since 2013. (His departure from True Value was announced yesterday.) Hartmann led True Value through a significant business transformation that modernized and strengthened its wholesale supply chain, accelerated technology investments to align with the changing retail landscape and drove growth and profitability across its 4,500 retail locations, according to a Bed Bath & Beyond statement.
“We continue to drive our growth plans and invest in strategic talent, while managing through the COVID-19 situation, backed by significant financial flexibility,” said Tritton. "John is a world-class leader with a passion for building high-performing teams and deep expertise delivering transformation in the retail sector. He will accelerate the execution of our vision to make it easy to feel at home with Bed Bath & Beyond, helping rebuild a modern, durable business and a deeper connection with our loyal customers across our portfolio of brands."
At Bed Bath & Beyond Hartmann will be charged with leading key areas of the company's transformation including IT, supply chain and real estate. He will also be responsible for re-engineering the company's supply chain and technology infrastructure to enhance fulfilment, drive cost improvements, improve customer experience and support the introduction of omnichannel improvements such as Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store (BOPIS) across its fleet of stores. As president of BABY, he will be responsible for further developing the growth strategy of the infant and small children retail brand.