As newly installed CEO George Jones continues his acclimation to Borders company culture, he’s putting his stamp on the executive suite, too. PW Daily reports that Robert Gruen has been named executive v-p of merchandising and marketing, while Kenneth Armstrong has been appointed executive v-p of U.S. stores. Vin Altruda, president of Borders worldwide, will leave the company at the end of the month. Both Gruen, who starts Feb. 5, and Armstrong, who begins Feb. 26, had previously worked with Jones.
Gruen will oversee all of Borders’ product buying, inventory management, development and execution of merchandising programs as well as being responsible for strategic marketing. Armstrong will be responsible for operations in all of Borders domestic stores. He most recently served as senior v-p and director of store sales for Saks’s Parisian division. And in related news, David Roche, managing director and CEO of Borders U.K., and John Campradt, managing director of Borders Asia Pacific, who
formerly reported to Altruda, will report to Jones.