Sears Holdings Corp. has tapped IBM veteran Maureen McGuire as the first-ever CMO for the combined retailer, overseeing Sears and Kmart. Meanwhile, Sears Retail’s President-Chief Merchant Luis Padilla will leave the company next week.
It’s the latest spin of the revolving door that has replaced nearly all of Sears Holdings’ marketing execs since CEO Edward Lampert took the reins last month (Sept. 14 Xtra).
Lampert named Kmart veteran Aylwin Lewis to replace Sears veteran Alan Lacy as Sears Holdings President-CEO just six months into Lacy’s tenure— assumed direct oversight of marketing, merchandising, design and online retail for Sears, Kmart and Lands’ End himself.
When Padilla leaves on Oct. 31, Lampert will have Sears’ senior merchants for home and apparel report directly to him while the retailer decides if and how to replace Padilla, who had been president of marketing as well as merchandising for Sears Retail until earlier this month.
In this new round of appointments, Sears Holdings also named Corwin Yulinsky its first executive VP-customer strategy and insight. Yulinsky led McKinsey & Co.’s financial institutions practice, helping financial institutions develop customer relationship and distribution strategies. Earlier, Yulinsky was senior VP at Chase Manhattan Bank, responsible for customer relationship strategy.
McGuire and Yulinsky “will bring Sears Holdings a new level of creativity and focus on marketing and our customer relationships … [and] help lead the on-going change in Sears’ culture,” Lampert said in a statement.
McGuire becomes Sears Holdings’ executive VP-CMO; she had been IBM’s VP-strategy and marketing, worldwide systems and technology group.
At the same time, David McCreight formally becomes president of Lands’ End; he had been Lands’ End’s interim president since Aug. 4, and earlier was chief merchant for the division.
