Ted English

Ted English was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Bob's Discount Furniture starting in 2006 until March 2016, and a former CEO of TJX Companies - owner of TJ Maxx - from 2000 to 2006. He helped TJX, a Fortune 500 retailer, increase its sales and profits considerably, opening more than 900 new stores and employing more than 50,000 people, and led the company through several acquisitions. His success was especially notable because of how he was able to successfully navigate his company through the 2001 economic downturn the United States experienced during his tenure.

Edmund (Ted) A. English was born on April 25, 1953 and earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from Northeastern University in 1976. He began his career as a stock room worker and later a buyer with the department store Filene's Basement. Prior to becoming a CEO, he helped TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, to train and hire workers through the federal government's Welfare to Work program. 

Based on his success in the Marmaxx organization, the business entity that runs the TJ Maxx/Marshalls units of TJX companies, English was promoted to president and CEO of TJX in the year 2000. English's strengths as a CEO included his ability to focus on merchandising, produce innovative ideas, predict customer shopping habits, and direct ongoing growth. English managed TJX with the primary goal of "capturing customers during hard times and then keep[ing] them when times get better". To capture new customers and retain existing ones while increasing profits, English continuously analyzed and applied new and innovative merchandising principles to the store's operations.

After running TJX Companies, Ted English took over as the chief executive officer of Bob's Discount Furniture, from November 2006 until March 2016. Under his leadership, Bob's Discount Furniture more than doubled the number of stores nationwide and nearly tripled sales, placing it among the top fifteen retail furniture outlets in the United States. He now serves as the chairman of the board for Bob's Discount Furniture.

In addition, English is a member of the honorary board of directors for the Special Olympics of Massachusetts, a member of the board of the New England Chapter of Autism Speaks, a member of the board of trustees of the Boston Medical Center, and a member of the board of trustees at Northeastern University. He is also a former member of the board of trustees at Xaverian Brothers High School.