William Tracy to succeed Kathryn Bufano as Bon-Ton Chief

The Bon-Ton Stores has announced the departure of Kathryn Bufano, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective August 25, 2017, upon expiration of her contract. The company added that William Tracy, the company's current Chief Operating Officer, will be named President and Chief Executive Officer following Bufano’s exit.

The company also announced that Chad Stauffer, one of the company's current general merchandise Managers, has been named EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer reporting to the Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Stauffer will be responsible for leading the company's merchandising strategy.

William Tracy to be the new Chief Executive at Bon-Ton

The company said, Tracy has served as Chief Operating Officer of the company since July 2015. He previously held various management positions at Hudson's Bay Company, including executive vice president of supply chain, logistics & omni channel fulfillment, and global sourcing, and prior to that executive vice president of supply chain, omni channel fulfillment & information services.

Commenting on Tracy’s promotion, Tim Grumbacher, Chairman of the Board, said in a statement, "I am very pleased to announce Bill's promotion to President and CEO. Bill is a proven leader with more than 40 years of retail experience in the areas of operations, supply chain management and logistics for national department stores. We are confident that Bill will be a successful leader based on his in-depth knowledge of the retail industry, his operational expertise and his understanding of the Bon-Ton business."

Tracy previously held the position of chief operating officer at both Fortunoff Brands LLC and Nine West Corporation, and has also served in various senior leadership positions at Lord & Taylor and Abraham & Straus Department Stores.

"I am excited about the opportunity to lead Bon-Ton and appreciate the Board's confidence and support during this transition, said Tracy, adding, “We have a strong team in place that has worked diligently over the recent years to strengthen Bon-Ton's competitive position within the industry, despite the difficult retail environment."

Chad Stauffer promoted as EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer

Stauffer has spent over nine years at Bon-Ton, most recently serving as senior vice president and general merchandise manager of Center Core and Children's. He was previously SVP and general merchandise manager of men's, children's and home, and prior to that group VP of private brand strategic planning and product development for men's and children's for the company.

He previously worked at Belk Department stores as vice president and divisional merchandise manager of Home Store, and prior to that, as vice president and divisional merchandise manager of children's apparel, accessories & toys. He has also held positions on the merchandise teams at Sports Authority, Kohl's, J.C. Penney, and May Department Stores.

Picture:Bon-Ton website