Mr John to lead Performance + Lifestyle Group Retail

17 Dec '09

3 min read

Collective Brands, Inc. announced that John D. Smith has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager of Retail for Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, reporting to Sharon John, the recently announced new President of the Stride Rite Children's Group.

In his new role, Smith will be responsible for the Performance + Lifestyle Group retail effort, partnering with the Stride Rite Children's Group and the Performance + Lifestyle Group(PLG) leadership teams to develop and execute the vision, mission and overall strategy for the PLG's retail businesses including expanding the 360-store Stride Rite chain.

Smith joined the company in 2005 as Vice President of Corporate Strategy, and in 2007 was named Division Senior Vice President of Store Development. In May 2009 he was promoted to his most recent role as Senior Vice President of Store Development and Procurement for Collective Brands. In this role, he managed all phases of the store life cycle -- from real estate analytics and site selection to store design, construction, lease administration and facilities. He also was responsible for directing strategic sourcing and managing spending for indirect goods and services for the corporation.

"We have tremendous opportunities to grow and evolve PLG's retail business," said Gregg Ribatt, CEO of PLG. "John's background and leadership will be an immensely valuable asset to help us establish and execute retail strategies and the appropriate operational infrastructure for maximum long-term growth."

"Applying John's extensive retail knowledge and strategic thinking directly to the PLG operation will enable us to take our retail businesses in this important and growing unit of our company to the next level," said Matt Rubel, CEO of Collective Brands. "This move not only demonstrates our company's philosophy of building our internal bench-strength by leveraging cross-functional talent throughout our organization, but also shows our commitment to the PLG retail business -- a critical initiative for Collective Brands' hybrid business model."

Prior to joining Collective Brands, Smith worked for several leading companies, including Target Corporation, McKinsey & Company, IBM and General Electric. Smith earned an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Temple University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Collective Brands, Inc. is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its more than 4,400-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R), Zoe & Zac(TM), the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections Lela Rose for Payless, Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose, alice + olivia for Payless.

Collective Brands Inc

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