HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.–Sears Holdings named Karen Austin president of the chain’s home electronics business unit in a newly created position. Austin has served as chief information officer of Sears Holdings since 2005.
For over 20 years, Austin has held IT leadership positions, including senior vice president and chief information officer of Kmart, Sears’ sister chain.
“As part of our new operating model and to grow those businesses in which we can differentiate ourselves from the competition, we’re pleased to be able to leverage a leader with Karen’s diverse experience,” said Bruce Johnson, interim president and chief executive officer of Sears, in a statement. “She drove strong results in our IT organization with a keen focus on our customers and will bring that same discipline to her new role.”
Timothy Kasbe will join the company as senior vice president and chief information officer. Kasbe most recently served as chief information officer at Reliance Retail Ltd. (RRL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd., a startup retail chain in India.