BJ’s Promotes Laura Sen

BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (Natick, Mass.) has named company president Laura Sen to take on the additional job of ceo. She succeeds Herb Zarkin in what has been described as a widely expected management change.

Sen, who will retail the title of president, will assume her new role on Feb. 1, 2009. She became president and chief operating officer in January 2008. Zarkin will continue to serve as chairman and will stand for re-election to the board when his term expires in May 2010. Previously, he had planned to retire from the board.

Zarkin, who has been the warehouse club’s chairman for a long time, took over as interim ceo in 2006. He is credited with having revamped the business, cutting back on the number of items BJ's sells and improving its merchandise selection. Last month, BJ's same-store sales rose 4.1 percent, while many other retailers' monthly sales fell amid a sharp pullback in consumer spending.