HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. has promoted Deidra Cheeks Merriwether to senior vice president and president of its Retail Services unit.

Sears Holdings Corp. has promoted Deidra Cheeks Merriwether to senior vice president and president of its Retail Services unit.

She succeeds James Haworth, the former Walmart executive who joined Sears last January. Haworth will be leaving the company to pursue other ­opportunities.

In her new post Merriwether will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of retail services for all Kmart and Sears stores.

Merriwether joined Sears Holdings in 2001 as director of IT finance and global capital planning for Kmart. She then held roles of increasing responsibility within real estate, procurement and finance, serving most recently as senior vice president of procurement and finance. Merriwether also serves on the board of Sears Canada and is the executive sponsor of the Sears’ African American Associate Network.

"Deidra is an accomplished leader," says Bruce Johnson, interim chief executive officer and president of Sears Holdings. "Her past experience within the company, along with a demonstrated success in creating and inspiring high-performance teams focused on satisfying the customer, make her a perfect fit for this role."