Rona announces two executive hires

Rona, the largest chain of home improvement retailers and distributors in Canada, has appointed Dave Carr to the position of VP retail, Western Canada, and François Hardy to the position of VP dealer-owner network development.

After beginning as an employee of a TOTEM store lumberyard in 1992, Carr quickly climbed the ranks to become assistant manager, then store manager. After managing several stores in Alberta, Carr became a regional manager, then general manager, and finally VP of TOTEM in 2008, three years after Rona's acquisition of the company.

Carr, along with the other regional VPs for retail, will report to Luc Rodier, who has been promoted to the position of executive VP retail.

Hardy took office on Jan. 16 and reports directly to Robert Dutton, Rona's president and CEO. He will assist in the development of Rona's existing dealer-owner network and be responsible for recruiting new dealer-owners. His professional background has centered on strategic positions in retail business development, sales and marketing in both Canada and the United States. Until recently, he occupied the position of VP sales and marketing at Intertrade, a business he co-founded in 2003, which specializes in developing partnerships and processes for exchanging information between suppliers and retailers.

Rona operates a network of more than 950 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats, with more than C$6 billion in annual sales.