• by Sarah Mahoney , 10 hours ago

The revolving door at Saks Global keeps spinning. Women’s Wear Dailyreports that Emily Essner, longtime CMO of Saks Fifth Avenue and, more recently, president and chief commercial officer, has left the company. Also exiting are Bill Bine, chief transformation officer, and Rob Brooks, chief operating officer.

The moves come as the combined Saks Fifth Avenue/Neiman Marcus group continues to streamline leadership following last year’s $2.7 billion merger. Kim Miller, formerly president of Saks Off 5th, steps into a new role as chief customer officer at Saks Fifth Avenue. Paolo Riva, chief brand partnerships and buying officer for both Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman’s, will now report directly to Metrick.

In a memo quoted by WWD, Metrick told employees he intends to be “more closely involved in operations … so that I can play a more direct role in our brand-partner strategies as we continue strengthening these important relationships.”

A company spokesperson confirmed the reorganization in an email to Marketing Daily: “As part of this process, we determined that with a simplified leadership structure, we will be able to more efficiently execute on our transformation strategy, which centers on advancing the customer experience, strengthening our brand partner relationships, and improving our financial performance.”

Those questions extend to Bergdorf Goodman, the crown jewel of the portfolio. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Saks is seeking to sell a 49% stake in the New York retailer, potentially raising $1 billion to shore up its balance sheet.

Saks Global has been trying to rebuild credibility with vendors after a stretch of late and partial payments. The company completed its debt restructuring in August, and in September S&P Global Ratings upgraded its credit rating — but kept a negative outlook. “We believe the capital structure remains unsustainable,” the agency wrote, warning that liquidity could stay tight and that stronger rivals may keep eroding share as Saks works to re-engage its customer base.