Sears Holdings names D'Ambrosio as chief executive officer

Sears Holdings Corp., the largest U.S. department store chain, named Lou D'Ambrosio chief executive officer and president of the company.

D'Ambrosio, a former CEO of telecommunications company Avaya Inc., will assume his duties tomorrow, the company said. Over the last six months, he worked as a consultant to the Sears board on strategic and operational matters.

“Having worked closely with Lou and observing his business acumen, compelling leadership style, performance orientation and customer first approach, I am confident that Lou is the right person to lead and transform Sears Holdings,” Chairman Edward S. Lampert said in a statement.

Sears, which is based in Hoffman Estates, operates 4,000 stores in the United States and Canada, according to the company.