Count J. Jill Inc. as the latest to see some c-suite turnover as it struggles through a rough retail landscape.
The company named board member Jim Scully as interim chief executive officer after Linda Heasley stepped down as president and ceo.
Scully has worked in retail for more than 20 years and served as chief operating officer of J. Crew Group and Avon Products Inc. in addition to an eight-year stint at what was Saks Inc.
The interim ceo said: “As the Board evaluates potential successors, we will focus on our customer, product, operating fundamentals and financial discipline. We believe J. Jill has significant opportunities ahead and I look forward to working with our talented teams to stabilize the business and create value for our shareholders.”
Based outside of Boston, J. Jill has 280 stores and in the third quarter saw sales fell 4.6 percent to $166.1 million with a 7 percent comparable sales drop. Net income fell to $2.4 million from $6.7 million.
Also doing the c-suite shuffle this year were Chico’s FAS Inc., which swapped out Shelley Broader for Bonnie Brooks, and Ascena Retail Group Inc., which traded David Jaffe for Gary Muto.