Daily News

From Home Furnishing Business

Tom Mitchell to Retire at IMC

November 12, 2014  by in Executive Changes, High Point, Industry, Las Vegas, Market   

With Mitchell's departure, Scott Eckman will be promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president of marketing and furniture leasing at IMC, which this week filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission for an initial public offering that IMC hopes will raise as much as $200 million.

Mitchell spent much of his career at an executive level in home furnishings, leasing space, managing operations and as the president of a variety of venues. In High Point, he oversaw Merchandise Mart Properties’ portfolio and later fulfilled the same function at the International Home Furnishings Center.

When IMC was created through a series of acquisitions in High Point--including MMPI properties--and Las Vegas in 2011, Mitchell took on the role of president of home furnishings for both High Point and Las Vegas. He will assist through a transition period and continue to play an advisory role going forward. 

“Tom has had a noteworthy and illustrious career in the home furnishings industry, and we have been fortunate to have his expertise and leadership at IMC,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of International Market Centers. “As Tom departs, we are also very fortunate that we have a strong bench of talent. Not only did Tom perform at a very high level personally but he also developed a team of strong performers and future leaders--leaving IMC well positioned to navigate his departure.”

Currently IMC’s chief marketing and strategy officer, in his new role Eckman will continue to provide senior leadership to the marketing team, and in addition will work with the furniture leasing teams in High Point and Las Vegas to set direction and drive leasing activity for both markets.

Julie Messner, vice president of home furnishings leasing for High Point, and Craig Staack, vice president of home furnishings leasing for Las Vegas, will maintain their current roles and report to Eckman. Dorothy Belshaw continues her responsibilities as president of gift and home décor. Eckman and Belshaw report to Maricich.    

Eckman brings many years of experience leading sales teams and full profit-and-loss accountability for other businesses to this new role. He has a proven track record in developing talent and creating growth opportunities for high-performance team members.

Prior to IMC, Eckman had several roles at GMAC Insurance Personal Lines including chief marketing officer, as well as time managing each of the company’s two divisions. Eckman managed a commercial paper product line at Georgia Pacific for several years, and he spent four years at the Boston Consulting Group, where his work focused on sales force effectiveness, and B2B and B2C marketing. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University.

“Scott’s leadership and critical thinking capabilities have been an incredible asset to our corporate strategy and marketing functions over the past several years,” said Maricich. “Through his new role, Scott will play an even more pivotal role in developing a platform and structure to position IMC for continued success.”