Bed Bath & Beyond executive fell to death from New York tower, police say

theguardian.com:

The chief financial officer of the troubled home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond fell to his death from a New York skyscraper known as the “Jenga” tower on Friday, police said, just days after the company said it was closing several stores.

Gustavo Arnal, 52, joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020. He previously worked for the cosmetics brand Avon, in London and Walgreens Boots Alliance. He also had a 20-year stint with Procter & Gamble, according to his LinkedIn profile.

On Friday at 12.30pm, police responded to a 911 call and found a 52-year-old man dead near the 60-story tower at 56 Leonard Street that gets its name from the way the apartments are stacked like blocks in the Jenga game.

Police later identified the man as Arnal. They did not provide further details on the circumstances leading to Arnal’s death but said the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office would determine the cause of the fatality.

In a statement, Harriet Edelman, independent chair of the Bed Bath & Beyond board, 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.”

On 16 August, Arnal sold 55,013 shares in the company, Reuters’ calculations based on SEC filings showed.

The big-box chain – once considered a so-called “category killer” in home and bath goods – has seen its fortunes falter after an attempt to streamline products it carries and sell more own-brand goods. In June, as sales slumped, the chief executive, Mark Tritton, was ousted.

Last week, the company said it would close 150 stores, cut jobs and overhaul its merchandising strategy in an