http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/business/Scott-Brubaker-Hired-as-American-Apparels-Interim-Chief.html 2014-09-29 20:27:20 American Apparel Hires Another Interim Chief Executive The retailer, locked in a public battle with its founder, Dov Charney, said Scott Brubaker of the turnaround firm Alvarez & Marsal would be C.E.O. === The troubled retailer American Apparel named a new interim chief executive on Monday in a bid to rebuild its ranks and move on from a public battle with its rambunctious founder and former chief, Dov Charney. The company said Scott Brubaker, a managing director at the turnaround firm Alvarez & Marsal, would temporarily take the label’s helm as it looks for a more permanent chief executive. American Apparel also named Hassan Natha as chief financial officer, replacing John Luttrell. Mr. Luttrell, who had also been interim chief executive since Mr. Charney’s removal, is leaving the company. He joined American Apparel in 2011 from a management consulting firm, following stints as chief financial officer at retailers including Old Navy and Wet Seal. American Apparel stunned investors, Mr. Charney’s lawyer has called those accusations baseless, and his ouster illegal. Mr. Charney, who had been sued by several female employees who said they had been sexually harassed, remains at American Apparel as a consultant and has fought to regain control of the company. Over the last few years, American Apparel, which Mr. Charney founded in 1998 and is known for its racy ads, has struggled financially, losing more than $100 million last year. And the company’s stock has slumped by almost 80 percent over the past five years. In the latest quarter, through June, the last reporting period largely under Mr. Charney’s leadership, the company had narrowed its losses to $16.2 million. But it continued to face extra costs and lost revenue from problems with inventory caused by a newly opened distribution center in La Mirada, Calif. Shortly after his dismissal, Mr. Charney teamed up with the New York investment firm Standard General to acquire about 43 percent of American Apparel’s shares. In July, the American Apparel board, Mr. Charney and Standard General Any Mr. Brubaker has served interim management roles and advised in the reorganization of retail and consumer products companies, including Eddie Bauer and Sunshine Biscuits, according to Alvarez & Marsal’s website. Before joining the firm, he was director at the turnaround practice of Arthur Andersen, the defunct accounting firm. This month, American Apparel hired Alvarez & Marsal, a major turnaround consultant that took over the management of Lehman Brothers after its Chapter 11 filing.