Best Buy names Hubert Joly as new CEO

[Shawn Knight]

Best Buy has announced that Hubert Joly, the former head of hospitality and travel company Carlson, will take over as permanent CEO effective September 2012. Joly will replace interim chief G. Mike Mikan who has held the position since April when former CEO Brian Dunn resigned following an investigation into a personal relationship he had with a female employee.

This will be Joly’s first job working in retail despite having significant experience in the technology, media and services industries. He has been credited with turning around French business EDS from 1996 through 1999 and helping restructure Vivendi’s video game business from 1999 until 2001. Most recently, Joly has worked in the customer service industry as the head of Carlson, the company that operates Radisson hotels and T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants.

Shares in Best Buy have fallen 11 percent since Dunn’s exit earlier this year and have since dropped another 10 percent following the appointment of Joly earlier today. Reuters notes that the naming of a new CEO was overshadowed by the breakdown of takeover talks involving founder Richard Schulze over the weekend.

On Sunday, Best Buy said they had offered Schulze a proposal that would have allowed him to do due diligence and bring a buyout offer directly to shareholders. The company said he declined to participate in the offer.

Meanwhile, the founder said he was shocked at the abrupt termination of talks and had expected to wrap up a deal before the company reported quarterly earnings later this week.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/49848-best-buy-names-hubert-joly-as-new-ceo.html

 

[ramonsterns]

I hope they change, maybe actually start to hire people with know-how instead of random Joe Herrera McNguyen, from Clueless Town.

 

[psycros]

I hope they change, maybe actually start to hire people with know-how instead of random Joe Herrera McNguyen, from Clueless Town.

Know-how costs money, and that makes the already inflated retail prices even worse. Best Buy and its like have only one thing going for them in today's market: you can walk in and buy whatever they have whenever you feel like it instead of waiting for the delivery guy. However, that's about it for their advantages. Price, selection, even the <I>return policies</I> are typically better with mail order outlets. Its rather sad, because I miss the pre-internet glory days of the malls and department stores. Now it feels like we're just sending all our money straight to China. The only specialty places that seem to be doing OK are the ones whose products really require a hands-on purchasing experience (bridal shops, farm supply outfits, etc). For the other specialty retail businesses, about the only bright spots are bare-bones warehouse stores that don't require stupid memberships. Micro Center comes to mind.

 

[ramonsterns]

Know-how costs money

Boo-flipping-hoo, cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it. I go into a computer store, I expect people who can help me with computers, much like if I go into a butcher shop I expect someone who knows what piece of the cow is which.