Best Buy Intl. Ceo to Retire

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. (Richfield, Minn.) announced that Robert Willett, ceo of its international unit, will retire at the end of December. The company does not plan to name a successor.

Willett became ceo of the strategic business unit in 2006. He was responsible for the implementation of a global integration and growth strategy, re-engineering the supply chain and information technology functions that supported the company's customer centric transformation. Even without naming a head of the division, the company says it will remain focused on global expansion and will move forward with plans to open five stores in the U.K. next year. The company’s first store in Turkey, originally scheduled to open in October and which ran into construction delays, is slated to open in December.

Prior to his post, Willett was executive vp, operations, and chief information officer for Best Buy. Before joining the company, he served as a special adviser to the Best Buy board of directors and as global managing partner for Accenture Consulting in London. His career in retail started in store management at Marks & Spencer, a leading British department store chain.

In related news, this week, Best Buy announced it will start selling health and fitness products, including equipment related to running, walking, swimming and other activities. The largest U.S. consumer electronics retailer by sales, Best Buy operates 1140 U.S. stores, mostly under the Best Buy brand, and 2827 international stores under the nameplates Best Buy, Future Shop, Five Star and the Carphone Warehouse.