Apparel cataloger/retailer The Talbots (NYSE: TLB) has named Trudy F. Sullivan president/CEO, effective Aug. 6. Sullivan, 57, has more than 35 years of retail and merchandising experience: She had most recently been president of Liz Claiborne. Before that she ran J. Crew’s mail order catalog division.
Sullivan, who will also become a member of Talbots board of directors, will succeed Arnold B. Zetcher, who this past February announced he would retire after 20 years with Hingham, MA-based merchant. He will remain chairman of the Talbots board through March 31, 2008.
“Trudy is the perfect person to build on Talbots legacy as the retail destination for the 35+ customer,” Zetcher said in a statement. “She’s a highly experienced and well-respected retail executive, and we are fortunate to have attracted someone of her caliber to maximize the company’s significant growth potential and further develop both the Talbots and J. Jill brands.”
The Hingham, MA-based merchant also announced that Harold B. Bosworth, Jr., executive vice president/chief merchandising officer of the Talbots brand, will retire after about 10 years with the company effective July 27. Talbots says it has started the search for an appropriate replacement.