Home Depot announces executive shakeup - Brief Article

Home Channel News, Sept 3, 2001

ATLANTA -- In yet another executive shuffle at Home Depot, longtime veterans Vein Joslyn and Barry Silverman have resigned, and Bob Wittman, who headed the company's Villager's Hardware test concept, has now been named president of the Expo Design Centers.

Joslyn's resignation comes just eight months after he was promoted to president of the company's Midwest Division. The 17-year veteran is leaving Home Depot for "other business opportunities," according to a company press release.

Replacing Joslyn is relative newcomer Bill Patterson who joined Home Depot in 1999, after spending nearly 20 years with Sears and Homebase. He also previously served as president and CEO of Groupo Salinas y Rocha, a retailer/manufacturer in Mexico.

In other promotions, Troy Rice has been named president of Home Depot's Northwest Division. A 10-year veteran, Rice most recently served as vp -sales and service for the company's Southwest division.

At the same time, 14-year veteran Silverman is leaving Home Depot just six months after he was named president of the dealer's Expo Design Centers division. Like many other executive resignations, the company stated that Silverman left "to pursue alternate business interests."

Silverman is being replaced by Bob Wittman -- another relatively new Home Depot executive who brings a variety of outside retail experience to the table. Wittman joined the company in 1997, after holding senior management positions with Jumbo Sports, Orchard Supply Hardware, Aikenheads Home Improvement and Bradlees Department stores. Most recently, he was at the helm of Home Depot's Villager's Hardware operations, and just last week was put in charge of the company's up-coming "urban" store concept test. The resignations are the latest in an ongoing changing of the guard at Home Depot.

Over the past two years a handful of long-time company veterans --including Ron Brill and Bill Hamlin, who played integral roles in the Home Depot's rapid growth -- have left the company.