Aylwin Lewis
Encyclopedia
Aylwin B. Lewis is an African American
businessman. He is formerly the interim Chief Executive Officer and President of Sears Holdings Corporation
and currently the CEO of Potbelly Sandwich Works
.
Sears Holdings was created in connection with the merger of Kmart
and Sears, which was completed on March 24, 2005. The company generates approximately $55 billion in annual revenues and includes approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores and related service businesses in the United States
and Canada
.
Lewis joined Kmart
as President and Chief Executive Officer on October 18, 2004 from Yum! Brands
, where he was President, Chief Multi-Branding and Operating Officer. He was a 13-year veteran of YUM! Brands, and was in the restaurant industry for 26 years, beginning his career as a Restaurant General Manager and rising through the ranks to his most recent position at YUM!
Lewis is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company
and Halliburton
.
He holds the following academic degrees: BA in English ('76), BS in hotel and restaurant management ('76), and an MBA ('90)—all from the University of Houston
. Aylwin Lewis also received a master's degree from Houston Baptist University
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
businessman. He is formerly the interim Chief Executive Officer and President of Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a retail conglomerate formed in 2005 by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co., of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with Kmart Holdings Corporation, of Troy, Michigan...
and currently the CEO of Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works is a privately held restaurant chain that sells submarine sandwiches in the United States. Its name is derived from potbelly stoves common in the late 19th century. The company is headquartered in the tower of the Merchandise Mart in the Near North Side, Chicago,...
.
Sears Holdings was created in connection with the merger of Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
and Sears, which was completed on March 24, 2005. The company generates approximately $55 billion in annual revenues and includes approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores and related service businesses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Lewis joined Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
as President and Chief Executive Officer on October 18, 2004 from Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc. or Yum! is a United States-based Fortune 500 corporation. Yum! operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and WingStreet restaurants worldwide....
, where he was President, Chief Multi-Branding and Operating Officer. He was a 13-year veteran of YUM! Brands, and was in the restaurant industry for 26 years, beginning his career as a Restaurant General Manager and rising through the ranks to his most recent position at YUM!
Lewis is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
and Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
.
He holds the following academic degrees: BA in English ('76), BS in hotel and restaurant management ('76), and an MBA ('90)—all from the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. Aylwin Lewis also received a master's degree from Houston Baptist University
Houston Baptist University
Houston Baptist University is a private Baptist institution founded in 1960. It is located in Greater Sharpstown in Houston, Texas near the Southwest Freeway.- History :...
.