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At first take, Martin A. Burke --recently named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Conran's Habitat USA --seems a bit conspicuous in his new surroundings.
After all, there aren't many pinstriped, corporate financial types to be found around the company's Astor Place headquarters in the heart of Greenwich Village. Too, his bright blue-eyed, fresh-scrubbed look suggests a certain naivete.
But Mr. Burke's passive demeanor belies the 37-year-old's reputation as a seasoned retail operations man. His 12-year career at R.H. Macy & Co.'s Northeast division included several financial and controller-related functions. Most recently, he was part of a senior management team responsible for coordinating vendor and factor relations.
Here at the United States division of London-based Habitat Group, he will be called upon to pull off more spectacular feats. Mr. Burke was tapped to help make Conran's Habitat USA less of a stepchild to the successful European operation and more of a cohesive link in...