Destination Maternity’s CEO door swings again
Destination Maternity has named a new interim CEO—its second since September.
The maternity apparel retailer on Wednesday appointed Melissa Payner-Gregor, an independent director of the company, as interim CEO, effective immediately. She succeeds Allen Weinstein, who has served in the position since September, when Anthony Romano was let go on the heels of the company’s ill-fated merger with France’s children’s clothing wear company Orchestra-Prémaman SA.
Weinstein, a director of Destination Maternity for more than seven years, has decided to retire from the board for personal reasons, the retailer stated. The company also announced it is working with Kirk Palmer Associates in the ongoing search for a new permanent chief executive.
“We are grateful to Allen for his service on our board for the last seven plus years as well as his recent service as interim CEO and the progress that has been made,” Barry Erdos, chairman, Destination Maternity. “We are also appreciative of Melissa's willingness to lead the company during this period of transition, and we are confident that she and our senior management team will continue our forward progress, as we to look for the right chief executive to lead Destination Maternity's next phase of growth."
Payner-Gregor, who has been on the Destination Maternity board since August 2009, is currently working as a consultant for several retail/e-commerce companies. She served as an advisor to Bluefly Inc. in 2015, having previously served its CEO from 2004 to 2012, and president from 2003 to 2004. Prior to joining Bluefly, Payner-Gregor held senior management positions with prominent retailers and consumer products companies, including CEO and president of Spiegel Catalog and president of Chico's FAS.
Destination Maternity also announced the establishment of an "Office of the CEO" which will be comprised of Payner-Gregor and each of the following reporting into her: Ronald J. Masciantonio, executive VP & chief administrative officer; David Stern, executive VP & CFO; and Shelley Liebsch, the senior VP of merchandising and design.
As of October 28, 2017, Destination Maternity operates 1,147 retail locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including 501 stores predominantly under the trade names Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity, and 646 leased department locations.
The maternity apparel retailer on Wednesday appointed Melissa Payner-Gregor, an independent director of the company, as interim CEO, effective immediately. She succeeds Allen Weinstein, who has served in the position since September, when Anthony Romano was let go on the heels of the company’s ill-fated merger with France’s children’s clothing wear company Orchestra-Prémaman SA.
Weinstein, a director of Destination Maternity for more than seven years, has decided to retire from the board for personal reasons, the retailer stated. The company also announced it is working with Kirk Palmer Associates in the ongoing search for a new permanent chief executive.
“We are grateful to Allen for his service on our board for the last seven plus years as well as his recent service as interim CEO and the progress that has been made,” Barry Erdos, chairman, Destination Maternity. “We are also appreciative of Melissa's willingness to lead the company during this period of transition, and we are confident that she and our senior management team will continue our forward progress, as we to look for the right chief executive to lead Destination Maternity's next phase of growth."
Payner-Gregor, who has been on the Destination Maternity board since August 2009, is currently working as a consultant for several retail/e-commerce companies. She served as an advisor to Bluefly Inc. in 2015, having previously served its CEO from 2004 to 2012, and president from 2003 to 2004. Prior to joining Bluefly, Payner-Gregor held senior management positions with prominent retailers and consumer products companies, including CEO and president of Spiegel Catalog and president of Chico's FAS.
Destination Maternity also announced the establishment of an "Office of the CEO" which will be comprised of Payner-Gregor and each of the following reporting into her: Ronald J. Masciantonio, executive VP & chief administrative officer; David Stern, executive VP & CFO; and Shelley Liebsch, the senior VP of merchandising and design.
As of October 28, 2017, Destination Maternity operates 1,147 retail locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including 501 stores predominantly under the trade names Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity, and 646 leased department locations.