La-Z-Boy Appoints New President, Retail La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries – ON Partners

Rebecca Reeder will join the company as President, Retail La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. 

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MONROE, Mich — La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB), a global leader in residential furniture, today announced the realignment of its Executive Leadership Team, in conjunction with several key announcements.

In connection with the company’s new fiscal year at end of April:

• Rebecca Reeder will join the company as President, Retail La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. In her role as President, Retail La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, Reeder will have executive oversight and P&L responsibility for the company’s Retail segment, which includes 168 of the 346 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores. In addition, she will assume responsibility for sales to the remaining independently-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores, driving alignment of the consumer experience throughout the entire network.
• Keith Wilson, President International and Joybird, has announced his intention to retire, and will move to special projects to support transitions through the summer. In concert with his retirement:
  • Tj Linz will assume responsibility for Joybird, in addition to his previously announced move to assume the role of President, Portfolio Brands, succeeding Otis Sawyer upon his retirement.
  • Robert Sundy, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, will expand his role to become President, La-Z-Boy Brand and Chief Commercial Officer, adding the company’s international La-Z-Boy branded operations to his leadership.

Melinda D. Whittington, President and Chief Executive Officer of La-Z-Boy Incorporated, said, “We are thrilled to have an executive of Rebecca’s caliber join La-Z-Boy Incorporated. She brings with her years of executive experience leading strong retail brands that ignite customer advocacy and sustain loyalty. Additionally, with expertise in building high-performing teams and driving operational execution, we look forward to her leadership as we champion the growth of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® network as a key part of our Century Vision growth strategy.”

Whittington also noted, “At the same time, it is with mixed emotion that we announce the retirement of Keith Wilson, President International and Joybird. Throughout Keith’s seven-year tenure, he played a key role in building the La-Z-Boy brand internationally and led the acquisition of Furnico, our U.K.-based manufacturing operation. More recently, Keith has also been responsible for leading Joybird, our direct-to-consumer upholstery company acquired in 2018. We thank Keith for his many contributions to La-Z-Boy Incorporated and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Whittington continued, “With the addition of Rebecca and related realignment of responsibilities across the team, the Executive Team is well positioned to lead the next chapter of our iconic, 96-year-old company as we execute our Century Vision strategy for long-term profitable growth. I’m proud of our team and the accomplishments to date, and even more excited for what’s ahead.”

Reeder said, “I am excited to join La-Z-Boy Incorporated at such a pivotal time in the company’s history. As it executes Century Vision with a focus on expanding the La-Z-Boy brand reach, retail stores will play a central role in the process. I’m thrilled to lead the store expansion initiative while capitalizing on the brand’s amazing attributes of comfort, quality and durability as we further enhance the end-to-end consumer experience. I look forward to working with a talented team across the organization.”

Reeder joins La-Z-Boy from Chico’s FAS, where she served as SVP, Retail for Soma, White House Black Market and Chico’s, in addition to having responsibility for Customer Care Center sales and visual merchandising. Before joining Chico’s, she held various Retail, Marketing and Merchandising leadership roles at Pacific Sunwear, Bebe, Express and American Eagle Outfitters. Reeder holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Communication from Miami University. She will officially join the company on April 17, 2023.

View the full article published recently by La-Z-Boy

Executive Search Partnership: La-Z-Boy 

ON Partners partners Bryan Buck and Heidi Hoffman are proud to have partnered with La-Z-Boy on this president, retail search. Review more of our executive search placements in our Executive Talent Report.

La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The Wholesale segment includes England, La-Z-Boy, American Drew^®, Hammary^®, Kincaid^® and the company’s international wholesale and manufacturing businesses. The company-owned Retail segment includes 168 of the 346 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores. Joybird is an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer of upholstered furniture.

The corporation’s branded distribution network is dedicated to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 346 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores and 519 independent Comfort Studio^® locations, in addition to in-store gallery programs for the company’s Kincaid and England operating units. Additional information is available at https://www.la-z-boy.com/.

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