Sears Holdings named Ron Biore as executive vice president, chief merchandising officer, and president for the Sears and Kmart formats.

Boire comes to Sears from Brookstone, where he was president and CEO. He will lead merchandising and retail stores for both the Sears and Kmart brands. 

The news comes on the heels of a dismal Christmas; the company announced that it would soon close more than 100 stores.

“I understand the company’s challenges, but I am more persuaded by the company’s opportunities and strengths,” Boire said in a statement. “As a company with over $40 billion in sales, millions of customers, irreplaceable brands, thousands of stores, and committed associates, we have a lot to work with,”

Added Sears Holdings’ president and CEO Lou D’Ambrosio: “We have made some difficult decisions recently and will make the hard choices necessary to turn our business around going forward.”

Prior to Brookstone, Boire served as president, U.S. Toys, North America, for Toys “R” Us. He has also worked at Best Buy and Sony, and has MBAs from both Columbia Business School and London Business School.

JCK