Major Industry Shifts from Q4 2012

Following up on my last post, there were a number of executive-level moves at major industry players in the last two months. Here's a quick recap of some of the top-level hires and departures you may have missed.

Staples Loses COO, Gains CCO - Michael A. Miles, Jr., president and CEO of Staples, announced in December that he would be resigning from the company effected Feb. 2, 2013. Miles accepted a position with investment firm Berkshire Partners. Earlier this month, the company named John Burke, senior vice president, to the position of chief culture officer.

Trade Only Names Patrick as President and COO - Trade Only, the Costa Mesa, California-based company behind the industry's leading software solutions, hired Alan Patrick as president and chief operating officer. Patrick has worked business and marketing positions internationally, most recently was vice president of business development for distributor LeaderPromos.

Doug Hayes Joins Ash City as Chief Executive Officer - Doug Hayes, former president of the Americas for Crocs Inc., was hired by Ash City to serve as its CEO on December 3. Garry Hurvitz, founder and former CEO of the Lenexa, Kansas-based supplier, will remain with the company to lead its product development and supply chain initiatives.

Broder Names New CEO and President - Broder Bros. Co., the apparel supplier located in Trevose, Pa., had two big hires in the past month. Norman Hullinger joined as chief executive officer in December, and Dan Pantano came on as president a few weeks later in January.

Proforma Adds Two Chief Officers - On December 5, Dan Whitehead joined Cleveland-based supplier Proforma as the chief sales officer. Bob Hechler, formerly of Windbrella and Trade Only, was hired by Proforma to serve as its chief membership development officer on January 4.

Alexander Manufacturing Names New President - Supplier Alexander Manufacturing of St. Louis appointed Michael O'Connell as company president on December 6. O'Connell previously served on the company's advisory board and has 28 years of experience in sales and marketing management.