Cruz named director of Saks Fifth Avenue flagship

NEW YORK—Saks Inc has named John Cruz SVP and director of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. Cruz will start on April 29 and report to EVP of stores Jennifer de Winter. He replaces Suzanne Stemper-Johnson, who has been in the position since 2007.

Cruz, currently the VP and general manager of the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills, Calif., has been with Saks since 1994. He was general manager of the Manhattan flagship from 2005 to 2010, with a promotion to VP in 2007. He has led the Beverly Hills store since 2010.

Saks CEO Steve Sadove commented in a statement, “We are very fortunate that John, who is currently leading our second largest volume store and who has spent many years on the management team of the New York store, is returning to our flagship store in this important role. His strategic abilities and keen focus on both our customers and our associates make him an ideal leader for our iconic New York location. I want to also thank Suzy for her nearly thirty years of service to the company and her many accomplishments over that time frame. Suzy has been a valued member of our team and we wish her all the best going forward.”

Saks Inc. operates 43 Saks Fifth Avenue stores in 20 states and 65 Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th stores.