Furniture Today
Plans to work as consultant

CORTE MADERA, Calif. (PR) — John Tate has resigned from Restoration Hardware as executive vice president and chief operating officer, citing personal reasons and a desire to return to his home in N.C.

Tate intends to establish a private consultancy, but indicated he will remain in his current capacity until a successor is named to the position of COO. Tate first joined Restoration Hardware in 2003 as a member of the Board of Directors and was appointed executive vice president, COO in August 2004.

Gary Friedman, president, chairman and CEO, said: “John has played a pivotal role in the repositioning of Restoration Hardware, first as a Board member and then as a key member of the Company’s senior management team. Under John’s leadership, the Company stabilized an underperforming supply chain, significantly reduced our cost base and developed a plan for our future infrastructure platform. While I am disappointed to see John leave, I understand his desire to be with his family on a more regular basis. I am also appreciative of John’s commitment to remain in his role until we have recruited his successor, helping insure a smooth and orderly transition.”

Tate said: “It is with sadness that I leave my current position at Restoration Hardware. Working with Gary and the team has been a career highlight for me. While our job in restoring the operations infrastructure is far from over, we now have a very strong management team, a sound and executable strategy and much demonstrated progress, from both a cost and performance standpoint.”