Bebe Stores CEO Steve Birkhold Resigns; Jim Wiggett Named Interim CEO

(RTTNews) - Specialty retailer bebe stores, inc. (BEBE) announced the resignation of its Chief Executive, Steve Birkhold, effective today. Concurrently, Jim Wiggett, the current CEO of Jackson Hole Group, has been named as bebe's Interim Chief Executive Officer. The company would begin searching for a permanent CEO.

Wiggett, with nearly 40 years of retail, merchandising, and business experience, has been offering advisory services to the firm for the past 5 years. Prior to Jackson Hole Group, Wiggett held a number of executive roles, with several high-profile companies, most recently Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH).

Commenting on Jim's appointment, Manny Mashouf, bebe's Chairman, stated, "Jim is a highly accomplished executive, with proven leadership capabilities, retail and merchandising expertise and a wealth of strategic business knowledge, and we look forward to his insights into the strategic direction of the Company."