COLUMBUS, OH. January 8, 2014 – Bolstered by a record-setting 2013 in North America, a successful launch in Europe, and significant expansion of the Columbus partnership, Columbus Consulting announced today a number of changes to its organization.
Rick Amari – Chairman of the Board. In continuation of a transition started in 2012, Rick, Columbus Consulting founder, steps into the Chairman position to provide vision and guidance for the organization, and remains a fully active managing partner in the business.
“I look forward to my new role in strategically guiding our global expansion and brand evolution. Shedding day-to-day operational responsibilities allows me to continue to focus on customers and retail trends globally,” Amari commented.
Jon Beck – CEO. Jon steps into the CEO role after two years as President and six years in total with the company. He will manage day-to-day operations of Columbus and oversee the expansion of the partnership.
To support this leadership transition, Kate Gorman, former General Manager JR/Duty Free Australia/New Zealand, has joined Columbus as a partner and will now lead the global Sales & Marketing function. “Kate brings us great experience, knowledge and leadership based on a lifetime in retail and retail systems across North America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific regions,” adds Beck.
“Returning to North America and joining Columbus is exciting for me and my family. I share in Columbus’ commitment to excellence and look forward to helping grow the brand,” adds Gorman.
Columbus just celebrated its 13th year in operation with another record year. “We have doubled the size of the company in the past 2 years. We believe these organizational changes enable us to continue to grow our brand and maintain our reputation as the best retail consulting practice in the world,” says Amari. He further adds, “Our unique business model enables us to attract the best retail minds and staff projects with great teams and relevant experience.”
About Columbus Consulting International
Founded by retailers to serve retailers, Columbus provides business and technical expertise in retail, ecommerce and wholesale. The company specializes in defining world-class business processes, operating models and organizational structures, and implementing technology to support them.
Columbus has served more than 115 retail clients since its inception in 2001.
Please visit us at www.columbusconsulting.com.
Media Contact:
Maria Courtney
E-mail: mariac@columbusconsuting.com
Phone: 614-944-5190 (Columbus)