News

Former Ulta leader tapped as Joann Stores CIO

March 21, 2019

Varadheesh Chennakrishnan, formerly an IT leader with Ulta Beauty, has been named CIO for Joann Stores.

In his role, Chennakrishnan will help the company optimize and innovate to create an ultimate craft experience, wherever the customer is, according to a press release.

"We're doing incredibly exciting things at Joann, from integrating customer-facing technologies into our stores, to investing in new operations systems, to expanding the way we interact with customers on their connected devices," said Wade Miquelon, president and CEO, in the release. "Varadheesh brings a wealth of experience and fresh thinking to this position, and we couldn't be more glad to have him on board to continue our transformation."

The fabric and craft retailer unveiled its first concept store last summer, featuring cutting-edge technology, community spaces and interactive kiosks.

"We've truly entered a new era of craft retail, and our new CIO will be a critical player in helping us get it right," said Miquelon in the release.