MONROE, Mich., Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB) today announced the appointment of Barbara J. Runyon as Chief Human Resources Officer. She will join the company on February 2, 2015, and will report to Kurt L. Darrow, La-Z-Boy's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Runyon will provide leadership and oversight for talent management, employee engagement, workforce development, and compensation and benefits.
Commenting on the appointment, Darrow said, "We are delighted Barbara is joining the senior management team of La-Z-Boy. She is a high-caliber individual who brings a wealth of experience in all facets of Human Resources to La-Z-Boy. I am confident she will make a significant contribution to the company as we enter the next chapter. With vast experience across many Human Resources disciplines, her leadership acumen will play an important role as we maximize our growth strategies moving forward."
Runyon joins La-Z-Boy from PepsiCo/The Pepsi Bottling Group, where she spent 14 years in various Human Resource positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Human Resources for the company's Midwest region. In that role, she was responsible for establishing strategies for the region's 5,500-person workforce, including employee engagement, talent management, labor and employee relations, safety and cultural initiatives. Her accomplishments included a significant increase in talent development, improvement in organizational health through enhanced engagement, and creating strong business partnerships. Prior to that, she served as the Human Resources Manager for Prestolite Wire Corporation based in Southfield, Michigan.
Runyon said, "I look forward to joining La-Z-Boy at such a pivotal time in the company's history. With a solid growth strategy in place coupled with the move to a new global headquarters and the change associated with that, I envision significant opportunity to help shape the corporation as it moves into a new and exciting chapter."
Runyon earned her B.S. in Social Science and Human Resources from Michigan State University and an MBA with an emphasis in Organizational Development from Wayne State University.
Background Information
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world's leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The La-Z-Boy Upholstery segment companies are England and La-Z-Boy. The Casegoods segment consists of three brands: American Drew, Hammary, and Kincaid. The company-owned Retail segment includes 107 of the 325 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores.
The corporation's branded distribution network is dedicated to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 325 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores and 564 independent Comfort Studio® locations, in addition to in-store gallery programs for the company's Kincaid and England operating units. Additional information is available at http://www.la-z-boy.com/.
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SOURCE La-Z-Boy Incorporated
Kathy Liebmann (734) 241-2438, kathy.liebmann@la-z-boy.com