John Hartmann has been named the chief operating officer of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and president of buybuy BABY, effective May 18, the Union-based retailer announced on Tuesday.
Hartmann will report directly to Mart Tritton, CEO and president, and be a key member of Bed Bath & Beyond’s senior leadership team. He will be responsible transforming key areas of the company, including information technology, supply chain and real estate to enhance fulfillment, drive cost and introduce omnichannel improvements, such as Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store across its fleet. As president of BABY, he will be tasked with brand’s growth strategy.
“We continue to drive our growth plans and invest in strategic talent, while managing through the COVID-19 situation, backed by significant financial flexibility,” Tritton said. “John is a world-class leader with a passion for building high-performing teams and deep expertise delivering transformation in the retail sector. He will accelerate the execution of our vision to make it easy to feel at home with Bed Bath & Beyond, helping rebuild a modern, durable business and a deeper connection with our loyal customers across our portfolio of brands.”
Prior to Bed Bath, Hartmann was the CEO and president of True Value Co., a hardware wholesaler. Before that, he was the CEO of Mitre 10, a home improvement company, and chief operating officer at HD Supply. He also held senior roles at The Home Depot, Cardinal Health and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“I am passionate about retail and thrilled to join the Company to help transform this iconic brand. Together with the leadership team, I am confident we will continue to increase the pace of change to rebuild this business and support Bed Bath & Beyond’s omni-channel future,” Hartmann said.
The company said it plans to announce additional appointments in the following weeks.
