Bed Bath & Beyond CFO fatally falls from New York's Jenga Building
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The man who fatally fell from a New York City building on Friday was identified as Bed Bath & Beyond chief financial officer and executive vice president Gustavo Arnal, a New York Police Department spokesman confirmed to TODAY.
The 52-year-old Arnal's death has been ruled a suicide, the New York City medical examiner's office confirmed to CNBC.
On Sept. 2, authorities responded to a 911 call about an unconscious person near Leonard Street and West Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, the NYPD said in a statement to TODAY.
“Upon arrival officers observed an unconscious and unresponsive 52-year-old male, who appeared to suffer from injuries indicative from a fall from an elevated position. EMS responded to the scene and pronounced the victim deceased on scene,” the statement said.
According to police, Arnal lived at the 60-story luxurious high-rise skyscraper, known as the “Jenga Building," that he fell from. Arnal did not leave a note behind, and did not say anything to his wife, who was home at the time, sources told NBC New York.
Arnal joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020 amid plunging sales, CNBC reported at the time. He had previously worked as a finance chief at Avon.
Following news of Arnal’s death, the retailer released a statement on its website that said, “The entire Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. organization is profoundly saddened by this shocking loss.”
The message also included a statement from Harriet Edelman, independent chair of the Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s board of directors.
“I wish to extend our sincerest condolences to Gustavo’s family,” she said. “Gustavo will be remembered by all he worked with for his leadership, talent and stewardship of our Company. I am proud to have been his colleague, and he will be truly missed by all of us at Bed Bath & Beyond and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.”
She continued, “Our focus is on supporting his family and his team and our thoughts are with them during this sad and difficult time. Please join us in respecting the family’s privacy.”
According to the press release, Arnal had previously worked at Walgreens Boots Alliance and Procter & Gamble as well.
“At Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., Mr. Arnal was instrumental in guiding the organization throughout the coronavirus pandemic, transforming the Company’s financial foundation and building a strong and talented team. He was also an esteemed colleague in the financial community,” the statement concluded.
Last month, the struggling company announced in a news release that it would close about 150 of its “lower producing” stores and lay off about 20% of its corporate and supply chain staff.
Bed Bath & Beyond revealed that same-store sales were down 26% for the three-month period that ended on Aug. 27.
“We are working swiftly and diligently to strengthen our liquidity and secure our path for the future. We have taken a thorough look at our business, and today, we are announcing immediate actions aimed to increase customer engagement, drive traffic, and recapture market share,” said Sue Gove, director & interim chief executive officer.
Over the past two years, the retailer has made multiple executive changes to boost its sales. In June, a new chief accounting officer, Laura Crossen, was brought in to help revitalize the flailing company.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
