Board chair named interim chief exec
By Alan Wolf, YSN
Charlie Eitel has stepped down as CEO of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) after three months on the job.
Eitel, the former chief executive of SSB forerunner Simmons Bedding Co., said he decided to leave the company “after discussions with its board” of directors. During his brief tenure, he helped lead a newly minted management team following Serta’s emergence from a Chapter 11 restructuring last summer.
See: Serta Forms New Leadership Team
He was succeeded on an interim basis by Serta board chair Mark Genender, a private equity investor and former Simmons director who was tapped in tandem with Eitel.
“We are grateful that Charlie joined SSB as CEO at an important time,” Genender said. “He strengthened our retail relationships and put leaders in place to accelerate our turnaround.”
Serta said its board has initiated a search process to identify and review candidates for the CEO slot.
In the meantime, Genender will lead an experienced management team that includes former Simmons execs Dominick Azevedo, chief sales officer; Rob Burch, chief operations officer; and Tim Oakhill, chief marketing officer.
