"From the beginning of our CEO search, we were determined to find a leader with information and technology experience who could catalyze the transformation of our portfolio of businesses in the context of the evolution of the retail industry that is occurring more broadly," said Sears chairman Edward Lampert in a statement.

Exec. exchange:

Reaction to the move has been mixed at best.

From : "He is good with technology. He's not a merchant," Brian Sozzi, an analyst at Wall Street Strategies in New York, said in an interview yesterday. The question is "what does Sears stand for. I don't think this hire brings any clarity on this question." Sears, which operates stores under the Sears and K-Mart brands, hasn't posted an annual gain in revenue since fiscal 2007. Annual same-store sales, a key measure of growth, haven't increased since the fiscal year ended January 2000. "

From : "Now, with a non-merchant at the helm, the question is, can Sears still revitalize its lackluster business? D'Ambrosio led Avaya as it went private, "delivering attractive returns to its shareholders," Lampert wrote. This could be interpreted that Lampert's real goal for Sears is to take the company private, not to bring it back to retail dominance."