The Bay names new prez

TORONTO – The two operating banners owned by Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) will be led by Sophia Hwang-Judiesch following the retirement of Iain Nairn, president and chief operating officer of The Bay at the end of January, 2023.

Hwang-Judiesch has been serving as president of Hudson’s Bay – HBC’s brick-and-mortar division – since last September, where she has been leading the store’s digital selling transformation, customer experience and optimization strategy.

Nairn's retirement culminates a 46-year career in retailing. Since joining The Bay, he oversaw a digital transformation of the business, including the launch of Marketplace, which brought more than 900 new sellers to thebay.com. He also launched Hudson’s Bay Foundation Charter for Change, and significantly advanced The Bay’s Truth & Reconciliation work, meeting with communities and building relationships with Indigenous organizations.

“It has been an honour leading The Bay and I am incredibly grateful to the associates that are the engine of The Bay organization. We have achieved some monumental wins together and I know there are many great things yet to come for this iconic retailer.”

Richard Baker, Governor and executive chairman of HBC, said “We thank Iain for his tremendous contributions to The Bay as we continue to deliver exciting and relevant experiences for the Canadian customer. As Sophia takes the reins, I’m confident her strategic and operational leadership will help drive performance, grow market share and elevate the customer journey even further.”

The Bay is the digital banner in the HBC brand portfolio, which also provides a seamless connection to a network of 84 Hudson’s Bay stores across the country.

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