Hudson’s Bay Company has brought its communication functions together in a new Corporate Communications and Public Relations division led by a newly-promoted Andrew Blecher.
Blecher, HBC’s senior vice-president public relations and events since July 2014, becomes senior vice-president corporate communications and public relations. Blecher is based in New York City and also has a Toronto office.
The new division includes corporate communications, banner public relations, global communications and internal communications.
HBC says the restructuring is part of its focus to create “Centres of Excellence” and bring all communication functions together.
It “brings the teams together to leverage talent, knowledge, best practices, resources [and] collaboration,” says Tiffany Bourré, director, external communications at Hudson’s Bay Company.
Blecher began his career at Saks Fifth Avenue in 2003 He left between 2010-2014 to assume senior director and vice-president roles at the New York brand strategy and PR agency Lividini & Co., where HBC was his lead client.
He was hired by HBC in 2014, followings its acquisition of Saks, to lead a team of 25 communications and event marketing professionals in New York and Toronto.
“The creation of a Communications Centre of Excellence aligns with our efforts to ensure we are leveraging our talent across all of our banners and have clear and effective communications to support our long-term growth strategies,” Jerry Storch, CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company, said in a statement. “Andrew’s track record with HBC makes him the ideal person to elevate the communications function within the organization and to develop and execute a strategic communications roadmap that reflects a truly global retail operation.”
