SAN DIEGO -- Jerome's Furniture here as hired Phil Kenney as chief operating officer.
His focus will be on "managed, smart growth for Jerome's," the company said in a release.
Kenney formerly was group vice president at retail software provider GERS Retail Systems, where he had worked with Jerome's President and CEO Lee Goodman and other executives at the Top 100 company.
After 19 years with GERS (which later became Escalate Retail and was acquired by RedPrairie), Kenney spent five years in the retail apparel industry, working in operations and information systems for Hot Topic and Wet Seal, both based in the Los Angeles area.
"Phil is a phenomenal additional to the team," Goodman said, adding that officials at the nine-store Jerome's were sad to see him leave GERS. "So now to get him back on our team, after a five-year learning experience with a publicly traded company, is just an incredible moment for us."
In the release, Kenney said he was thrilled to be back in the industry "and have the chance to work with such a dynamic, fast-paced team."
The chief operating officer post at Jerome's had not been filled in recent years. Goodman, who was COO before his promotion to CEO in 2007, had been handling those duties.
