TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HBC today announced that Alison Coville has been named President of Hudson’s Bay. Ms. Coville will lead a dedicated management team responsible for directing operations for Hudson’s Bay and Home Outfitters in Canada. This dedicated leadership structure will better position the banner to drive performance in Canada, which has consistently been one of the Company’s strongest markets. Ms. Coville will report to Jerry Storch, Chief Executive Officer, HBC.
“Within HBC’s global footprint, Canada is such an important and indelible part of our story and growth strategy. There are countless opportunities for us to continue to build on the solid platform that has been established to innovate and evolve the Hudson’s Bay experience for our customers,” said Richard Baker, Governor and Executive Chairman, HBC. “Alison has a deep understanding of the Hudson’s Bay customer and will help push innovation and build the Hudson’s Bay experience online and in stores to drive us to the future.”
“Alison is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in Canadian retail, nearly two decades of which has been spent at HBC. She has proven herself to be a dedicated leader with great intuition and knowledge of the market and sector. I believe her track record, keen insight, and bold vision make her the ideal leader to drive our strategy forward and accelerate our growth plans for Hudson’s Bay,” said Jerry Storch.
“I am honored to assume this position at Hudson’s Bay, where I have had the opportunity to build my career in an exceptional market with incredible colleagues,” said Ms. Coville. “I look forward to working with the Hudson’s Bay and Home Outfitter teams to accelerate our growth, while providing our loyal customers with a seamless shopping experience.”
Ms. Coville has held leadership positions in merchandising with HBC since 2005, in almost every area of the business including women’s, accessories, cosmetics, home and men’s. She has been instrumental in developing strategies to improve sales and profit.
Prior to joining HBC in 1999 as a Divisional Merchandise Manager, Ms. Coville worked at T. Eaton Company, where she progressed through the organization in multiple functions and executive roles including Buying, Store Planning, Marketing, and National Sales Management.
Liz Rodbell, who has split her time between Canada and the U.S. for five years, and served as president of Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor for the past three years, continues in her role as President of Lord & Taylor. She will now be fully focused on leading that U.S. banner, together with a dedicated management team. The new streamlined organization, coupled with changes at the store operations level, will increase the pace of change at Lord & Taylor with an emphasis on driving digital opportunities at the banner while operating its stores more efficiently.
Jerry Storch continued, “Liz is a strong leader at HBC who has made a mark on Hudson’s Bay over the last five years. Liz’s vision for the future of retail has helped steer the business, and she truly understands our customer. With more than 30 years at Lord & Taylor, Liz is uniquely positioned to continue to lead the banner through its evolution and drive its digital strategy. We are grateful to Liz for her leadership and many contributions.”
These leadership changes are effective today.
About Hudson’s Bay
Hudson’s Bay Company, incorporated in 1670, is North America’s oldest company. Hudson’s Bay has grown to become Canada’s most prominent department store, today operating 90 full-line locations and thebay.com. For the first time since the banner’s inception, Hudson’s Bay will open outside of Canada with 10 new stores in the Netherlands in 2017, and an online shopping destination at hudsonsbay.nl. This expansion will introduce a new and exciting shopping experience in the Netherlands, catering to the Dutch market. Hudson’s Bay has established a reputation for quality, service, and style by offering well-edited assortments of exclusive and popular fashion, beauty, home and accessory designers and brands, as well as exclusive food concepts. It is part of the Hudson’s Bay Company brand portfolio.
About HBC
HBC is a diversified global retailer focused on driving the performance of high quality stores and their all-channel offerings, growing through acquisitions, and unlocking the value of real estate holdings. Founded in 1670, HBC is the oldest company in North America. HBC’s portfolio today includes formats ranging from luxury to premium department stores to off price fashion shopping destinations, with more than 480 stores and over 66,000 employees around the world.
HBC’s leading banners across North America and Europe include Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gilt, Saks OFF 5TH, Galeria Kaufhof, the largest department store group in Germany, and Belgium’s only department store group Galeria INNO.
HBC has significant investments in real estate joint ventures. It has partnered with Simon Property Group Inc. in the HBS Global Properties Joint Venture, which owns properties in the United States and Germany. In Canada, it has partnered with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust in the RioCan-HBC Joint Venture.
