MARTINSVILLE, Va. – has named three new sales executives: Scot Kanaly as vice president of sales for domestic upholstery, William Doherty as director of business development for domestic upholstery and Rande LaBrecque as national sales manager for Bobo Intriguing Objects.
The new appointments are part of the company’s , which saw the elimination of the Hooker Furniture president role, as well as the exit of Mike Harris, who served in the role. The company said the appointments mark a step in its evolution toward a whole-home focus.
“As we move toward a broader, more integrated vision, we’re expanding and investing in our sales leadership team to further strengthen our talented sales force,” said Caroline Hipple, Hooker Furnishings’ . “Matt Cowan continues in his critical role as executive vice president of sales for Hooker Furnishings’ legacy brands, now bolstered by category sales experts who will arm internal teams as well as industry partners with deep category knowledge and additional growth capacity.
“By ramping up creativity, education and resources, we’re not only enhancing our own capabilities – our retail and interior design partners will directly benefit from this new structure,” she continued.
As vice president of sales for domestic upholstery, Kanaly will oversee customizable domestic upholstery sales for the M, HF Custom and Bradington-Young brands, as well as provide specialized upholstery expertise to the Hooker Furnishings’ sales team. In this role he will report to Cowan.
Kanaly comes to Hooker from Norwalk Furniture, where he worked in sales leadership positions for 12 years, Previously, he was the owner of Kanaly Management for five years and spent eight years as regional manager of national accounts for Bassett Furniture.
Doherty joins from Palliser Furniture Upholstery, where he served as a senior vice president of product design and visual merchandising and director of merchandising and stationary upholstery. Previously, he held a variety of upholstery product design and management positions at Crate & Barrel for more than 14 years.
In his new role, Doherty will oversee the company’s lifestyle-focused domestic upholstery category, initially focusing on opportunities with M and Shenandoah, reporting to Hipple. Doherty will serve as a shared resource for the company’s upholstery teams, as he expands into its broader customer base and OEM opportunities.
With more than 30 years’ experience in retail sales, merchandising, store planning and design, LaBreque most recently managed the Bobo Intriguing Objects store in Atlanta. Previously, he spent 20 years as a regional director with Macy’s. From there, he opened the White Owl Market, a retail shop carrying updated, redesigned and repurposed furniture, and home décor.
As Bobo’s national sales manager, LaBreque will report to Cowan. He will be responsible for expanding the Bobo customer base, ensuring a strong presence in interior design and the national retail market and leading a team of specialized sales professionals.
Also announced earlier this month was the appointment of Hipple and Jeff Behmer, who will serve as executive vice president of merchandising for Hooker Casegoods. Hipple reports to CEO Jeremy Hoff, while Behmer reports to Hipple.
Anne Smith, chief administrative officer, and who previously led the company’s domestic upholstery group, will now refocus on corporate customer care policies and processes.
Hooker is set to report its fourth quarter and full-year earnings April 11.