Brennan to Be Chairman of Sears, Roebuck

Sears, Roebuck & Co. on Tuesday chose Edward A. Brennan, its president and chief operating officer, to succeed Edward R. Telling as chairman and chief executive of the nation’s largest retailer, effective Jan. 1.

The election of Brennan, 51, was not unexpected; he had been named president and chief operating officer in August, 1984, and has served on Sears’ board since 1978.

Telling will end eight years at the helm of Sears. Scheduled to retire on reaching his 65th birthday in April, 1984, he agreed to stay on through the end of this year to help guide Sears’ entry into financial services.

Under Telling’s leadership, the company in 1981 acquired Coldwell, Banker & Co. and Dean Witter Reynolds Organization and launched the Sears U.S. Government Money Market Trust. In 1982, Telling announced formation of Sears World Trade Inc.

Despite those moves, Brennan stressed Sears’ retail roots to reporters at a news conference held at the Sears Tower in Chicago. Though assigning top priority to “profit growth in all areas,” he said: “The core business that we’re in is merchandising. We have to maintain that strength.”

Succeeding Brennan as president and chief operating officer will be Richard M. Jones, the company’s vice chairman and chief financial officer.