RJ Cilley departs Saks Fifth Avenue as COO

RJ Cilley has announced his departure from Saks Fifth Avenue, where he served as chief operating officer. 

Cilley spent the last three and a half years as Saks COO, concluding a 12-year tenure at Hudson’s Bay Co., the parent company of Saks. His career at HBC included a stint as chief digital officer from 2018 to 2021. Prior to that, he was senior vice president for digital, operations and new ventures. 

He will take on the role of chief executive officer at Philadelphia-based HVAC and plumbing startup Voomi Supply. 

Cilley shared the news via LinkedIn: “All good things must come to an end. Saks and HBC have been my home for many years, and I am so grateful for my time there,” he said. “Thank you to all my incredible partners who challenged me, supported me, believed in me, and most importantly, inspired me every step of the way.” 

The move follows the announcement that HBC will acquire department store Neiman Marcus in a $2.65-billion deal. As part of the deal, HBC said it will establish Saks Global, a combined entity of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and other luxury retail and real estate assets.

Saks said it plans to fill the COO role.