GameStop has named Belk’s Interim CEO Nir Patel to the role of COO, effective May 31, 2022. Patel left Belk on May 16, and Belk President and COO Don Hendricks was appointed to the Interim CEO position in his place.
Patel was promoted to CEO in July 2021 as part of the retailer’s turnaround efforts following its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an expedited “one-day reorganization.” His pre-Belk roles include senior leadership positions at Kohl’s and Lands’ End. He has approximately two decades of experience in operations, merchandising, supply chain and retail and store operations, including time spent at Target and Gap.
Patel joins GameStop as the retailer attempts its own turnaround effort. The company generated $2.3 billion in sales during Q4 2021, up from $2.2 billion in Q4 2020. GameStop plans to further boost its comeback with the launch of a marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in partnership with the blockchain platform Immutable X.
Hendricks has served as Belk’s COO since 2016 and added the President title in 2020, when he helped the company manage the COVID-19 pandemic and build out its omnichannel operations. His pre-Belk experience includes time at Gymboree asCIO and at Hot Topic and Torrid asCOO.
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“I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the talented team at Belk,” said Hendricks in a statement. “I’m proud of our continued work to advance the business in numerous ways, while still keeping the wellbeing of our customers, associates and communities as a top priority.”
