FTD Companies names Kumar chief operating officer

FTD Companies, based in Downers Grove, announced the appointment of Simha Kumar as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Kumar will lead FTD's U.S. consumer businesses - FTD.com, ProFlowers, Shari's Berries, and Personal Creations - and provide enterprise leadership as the Company completes its ongoing strategic review and embarks on its future plans. He will report directly to John Walden, FTD's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Kumar has over 18 years of experience in e-commerce and consumer facing industries. He joins FTD from Sears Holding Corporation where he served as president of the Toys, Sporting Goods and Fitness retail divisions from December 2014 to July 2017, with operations across approximately 1,700 retail stores and online channels.

At Sears Holdings he also served as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive in 2014 where he led the execution of efficiency actions including pricing, promotional effectiveness and process improvements to drive margin expansion. From 2011 to 2014, He also held key leadership roles at Amazon.com, including category leader, consumer electronics (audio, accessories and headphones) and category leader, consumer electronics (musical instruments) where he led merchandising, operations, marketing and financial planning for these categories and developed innovative technology tools for improved customer interaction and experience.

Kumar holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University, Ontario, Canada, a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.