Alison Coville named President of Hudson’s Bay

Hudson’s Bay Company has announced that Alison Coville has been named President of Hudson's Bay. The company said, Coville will lead a dedicated management team responsible for directing operations for Hudson's Bay and Home Outfitters in Canada. Coville will report to Jerry Storch, Chief Executive Officer of HBC.

"Within HBC's global footprint, Canada is such an important and indelible part of our story and growth strategy. Alison has a deep understanding of the Hudson's Bay customer and will help push innovation and build the Hudson's Bay experience online and in stores to drive us to the future," said Richard Baker, Governor and Executive Chairman, HBC in a statement.

Alison Coville names President of Hudson’s Bay

HBC expects this dedicated leadership structure to better position the banner to drive performance in Canada, which has consistently been one of the company's strongest markets.

"Alison is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in Canadian retail, nearly two decades of which has been spent at HBC. She has proven herself to be a dedicated leader with great intuition and knowledge of the market and sector. I believe her track record, keen insight, and bold vision make her the ideal leader to drive our strategy forward and accelerate our growth plans for Hudson's Bay," added Jerry Storch.

Coville has held leadership positions in merchandising with HBC since 2005, in almost every area of the business including women's, accessories, cosmetics, home and men's. The company added that she has been instrumental in developing strategies to improve sales and profit.

Prior to joining HBC in 1999 as a divisional merchandise manager, Coville worked at T. Eaton Company, where she progressed through the organization in multiple functions and executive roles including buying, store planning, marketing, and national sales management.

HBC said that Liz Rodbell, who has split her time between Canada and the US for five years, and served as president of Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor for the past three years, continues in her role as President of Lord & Taylor. She will now be fully focused on leading that US banner, together with a dedicated management team.

Commenting on Rodbell’s role, Jerry Storch added that with more than 30 years at Lord & Taylor, Liz is uniquely positioned to continue to lead the banner through its evolution and drive its digital strategy.

Picture credit:HBC