Sears Holdings Corp. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) has named veteran department store executive Craig Israel as senior vp, and president of the apparel unit in its Sears division.
Israel will report to Bruce Johnson, interim ceo of Sears Holdings Corp., and will be responsible for all women's and men's apparel and accessories, as well as the children's and cosmetics divisions at the Sears chain.
Israel was president and ceo of Robinsons-May/Meier & Frank, a West Coast division of the former May Department Stores Co. (St. Louis). He had earlier been president and ceo of May’s Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's division. He also held senior roles at other May Co. regional operations, including Foley's, Famous Barr, L.S. Ayres and Lord & Taylor.
The retailer has called this “a newly created position,” although during the Softer Side of Sears era in the 1990s, Robert Mettler held the position of president of apparel and home fashion.