Dondero hired as WMC CEO

Staff -- Home Accents Today, 10/1/2006

Former Broyhill, Maitland-Smith and Universal president Harvey Dondero has joined the World Market Center in Las Vegas as CEO, a new position for the showroom building developer and operator.

Other WMC executives, including Gerry Sawyer, chief operating officer, and Dave Palmer, managing director, retain their current duties and will report to Dondero.

Jack Kashani and Shawn Samson, founders and co-managing partners of the growing showroom building complex, said in a statement "the time is right to pass the baton to a new leader who will execute our vision as the founders and partners. Harvey's many years as an exhibitor and buyer give him a unique insight as to how we can make our markets more friendly and meaningful."

The partners announced the hiring of Dondero at the same time they formally broke ground on the third of the complex's planned eight buildings.

Harvey Dondero resigned in June as CEO of Broyhill, a post he held for 14 months. Earlier, he had been president and CEO at Universal for six years and at Maitland-Smith for five years. He started his career with Wedgwood and also worked in the tabletop and giftware industry at Brown Forman.

In a statement, Dondero said he hoped to make the WMC a truly international market for the home furnishings industry.

"World Market Center presents an entirely new platform to address the new dynamics of the industry in the 21st century," he said. "The industry's landscape has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades and buyers and manufacturers need an entirely new, more productive and efficient platform."

Harvey Dondero