MONROE, Mich., June 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:LZB) today announced that David B. Behen has joined the company as Vice President and Chief Information Officer.  He will report to Kurt L. Darrow, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

In this role, Behen will be responsible for leading, developing, expanding and overseeing all aspects of Information Technology throughout the La-Z-Boy organization, including IT strategy, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, ERP deployment, network optimization, and procuring new technologies.  

Darrow stated, “David will lead the technological infrastructure and cybersecurity planning for the organization.  In this critical role, he will ensure optimal technology performance for the company to support La-Z-Boy’s future growth and success across our manufacturing and retail operations.  He brings a wealth of experience to La-Z-Boy and will undoubtedly make a significant contribution as we continue to expand and enhance our technological footprint across many disciplines throughout the organization.”

Prior to joining La-Z-Boy, Behen led the IT organization for the State of Michigan as Chief Information Officer and Director of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.  While there, he was responsible for strategic planning initiatives and directed administrative operations for the state government agency, with 2,800 employees, which provides business services to state agencies with 47,000 employees and over 9.4 million citizens of Michigan.   Before that, he was Vice President/Chief Information Officer of GDI Infotech and Co-founder/Chief Business Officer of Infoready Corporation, a spin-off of GDI.

Behen said, “I look forward to working with the multi-faceted technology strategies associated with a company involved in the retail arena as well as one with extensive manufacturing operations.  Today, IT systems and business applications are necessary to ensure success externally to provide excellent service to our many independent dealers and end consumers as well as internally as we manage our business for productivity and efficiency.  We have an excellent IT team and I am confident we will continue to develop our systems and capabilities to further enhance and expand our technology platforms.”

Behen earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University, where he also received his Bachelor’s degree.  He has served as a keynote speaker, expert panelist, and moderator for national and international audiences providing expertise on information technology, cyber security, data management, and leadership. 

Behen holds a number of board and committee positions in professional and technology organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards of honor.  He was a member of the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council Cybersecurity Subcommittee and his leadership brought Michigan distinguished recognition with an A grade in the Center for Digital Government’s Digital States Survey in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Additional Information

This news release is just one part of La-Z-Boy’s financial disclosures and should be read in conjunction with other information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is available at: http://investors.la-z-boy.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92596&p=irol-sec.  Investors and others wishing to be notified of future La-Z-Boy news releases, SEC filings and quarterly investor conference calls may sign up at:  http://investors.la-z-boy.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92596&p=irol-alerts&t=&id=&.

Background Information

La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The La-Z-Boy upholstery segment companies are England and La-Z-Boy. The casegoods segment consists of three brands: American Drew, Hammary, and Kincaid. The company-owned retail segment includes 142 of the 346 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores.

The corporation’s branded distribution network is dedicated to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 346 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries^® stores and 551 independent Comfort Studio^® locations, in addition to in-store gallery programs for the company’s Kincaid and England operating units. Additional information is available at http://www.la-z-boy.com/.

Contact:
Kathy Liebmann
(734) 241-2438
kathy.liebmann@la-z-boy.com