The Bay names Sophia Hwang-Judiesch as president

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jan 12, 2023

The Bay named on Wednesday Sophia Hwang-Judiesch as president of The Bay and Hudson's Bay.

In September, Hwang-Judiesch was appointed president of Hudson's Bay leading the Hudson's Bay store organization, including the execution of the company's in-store digital selling transformation, customer experience and store optimization strategy. Prior to joining The Bay, Hwang-Judiesch was vice president of strategic initiatives at Ulta Beauty. Previously, she was senior vice-president at Carter's Oshkosh.

In this new role, she will replace Iain Nairn, president and CEO of The Bay, who is set to retire this month, and take on the additional role. In 2021, The Bay was spun off from Hudson’s Bay as a separate business. The two operate collaboratively to deliver a seamless customer experience. The Bay currently operates thebay.com featuring Marketplace, with a seamless connection to a network of 84 Hudson's Bay stores.

"We thank Iain for his tremendous contributions to The Bay as we continue to deliver exciting and relevant experiences for the Canadian customer,” said Richard Baker, governor and executive chairman of HBC. 

“As Sophia takes the reins, I'm confident her strategic and operational leadership will help drive performance, grow market share and elevate the customer journey even further.”

Nairn's retirement follows a 46-year career in retailing. At The Bay, he oversaw a digital transformation of the business, including the launch of Marketplace, which brought more than 900 new sellers to thebay.com. He also launched Hudson's Bay Foundation Charter for Change, and significantly advanced The Bay's Truth & Reconciliation work. 

"It has been an honour leading The Bay and I am incredibly grateful to the associates that are the engine of The Bay organization. We have achieved some monumental wins together and I know there are many great things yet to come for this iconic retailer,” Nairn said.