Zale Corp.'s New CEO Comes With Extensive Retail Experience

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Zale Interim CEO, 'Betsy' Burton, Is Permanent Pick

• Summary: After a lengthy search, Jewelry retailer Zale Corp. (ZLC) named interim Chief Executive Officer Mary "Betsy" Burton to the post permanently. Since taking over Zale in 2003, Burton has recast Zales Jewelers' marketing and promotions to focus on value rather than fashion while overhauling Zale's training and commission programs. Last fiscal year (through July 2005), the Irving, Texas company tallied $2.38 billion in sales. In Burton, Zale gets a CEO with extensive experience on the boards of retailers and in turning around struggling operations. In addition to Zale, she currently serves on the boards of teen retailer Aeropostale Inc., office-supplies retailer Staples Inc. and Rent-A-Center Inc. Now the company must fill the CFO position left open by Burton's rise to CEO.
• Comment on related stocks/ETFs: To read about Zale Corp.'s past executive problems, see Gearge Gutowski's Zale Corporation: More Executive Casualites and Zale's Leadership Problems -- A Red Flag For Investors. For their recent conference call transcript, click here.