HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. has made several recent changes within its executive ranks.

Sears Holdings Corp. has made several recent changes within its executive ranks.

In a major move, Sears Holdings has named 30-year retail veteran Lana Cain Krauter as president of its apparel division.

Krauter previously worked for the company in the mid-1990s and was the architect of the company’s push into higher-end apparel — a strategy that has since been abandoned.

Krauter’s appointment was announced at the same time that Sears announced it had promoted Deidra Cheeks Merriweather to senior vice president of its Retail Services unit.

"Lana is a great addition to our apparel team," John Goodman, executive vice president at Sears’ apparel and home division, comments. "She brings to the company an excellent track record with brand, product and customer loyalty program development and a demonstrated success in creating and inspiring high-performance teams."

As Sears Holdings tries to revive its apparel business and raise its profile with investors, Merriweather led the company’s visit to the NASDAQ stock exchange last month and rang the bell, opening trading on the exchange on January 24.

Merriweather, who has spent the last decade in a variety of positions with Sears Holdings, took over the company’s Retail Services division in early January.

Most recently, the company has hired Chris Capuano as senior vice president and president of home fashions. She is responsible for the oversight, leadership and growth of both in-store and online merchandising of home fashions in both the Sears and Kmart banners.

"Chris has had extensive experience in leading all aspects of home fashions," says Goodman. "Her dedication and background will be a strong asset as we continue to evolve our brands at both formats."

Capuano most recently served as executive vice president and general merchandise manager of home and footwear at Kohl’s Corp., where she was the one responsible for the growth and profitability of more than 900 stores nationwide. Prior to joining Kohl’s, she was senior vice president of home for Federated Merchandising Group.