Art Van Furniture Names Ronald Boire President and CEO

April 12, 2018  by Jason Schneider in Business Strategy, Executive Changes, Industry   

Boire will succeed Kim Yost, who recently announced his retirement after nine years with the company. 

Boire comes to Art Van with more than 35 years of experience in the retail industry, having previously served in senior executive positions, including president and CEO roles, at a wide variety of retail and consumer electronics companies, such as Barnes & Noble, Sony Electronics, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Brookstone, and Sears Canada.

Prior to joining Art Van, he most recently served as a principal at The Upland Group, an advisory firm specializing in the development, leadership, and execution of transformational strategies for retail and consumer product companies.

“Ron is a tremendous addition to the Art Van family,” said Yost. “He is a charismatic and dynamic leader, who has an innate passion for the customer and shares our love for product and for sales. He also brings ‘war stories’ from many other sectors of retail, which will be invaluable as Art Van continues to transform the business into the leading all-home omni-channel retailer in the United States. I have the utmost confidence in Ron’s ability to lead the Art Van, Levin, and Wolf brands through the next chapter of growth and success.”

“I am very excited about the opportunity to join Art Van,” said Boire. “The furniture and mattress industry is going through a time of significant change and the Art Van portfolio of brands are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the opportunities present in this evolving landscape. I am incredibly impressed by the deep customer loyalty that has come from the decades of history in each brand’s local communities. I look forward to partnering with our highly talented team of associates and partners to build on that strong foundation, as we strive to deliver an industry-leading guest experience.”

“We thank Kim for the leadership and guidance he has provided to the company through this year of transition, and wish him well in his retirement,” said Jeff Swenson, managing director of Thomas H. Lee Partners. “Looking ahead, we are thrilled with Ron’s decision to join Art Van. His deep expertise in retail management and extensive experience leading transformational and omni-channel strategies focused on delivering best-in-class customer experiences—both online and in stores—will be incredibly valuable as we build on a long and storied history of growth for the Art Van, Levin, and Wolf brands.”