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AnnTaylor CEO Resigns: Sally Frame Kasaks immediately named company President J. Patrick Spainhour to succeed her. The timing of Kasaks’ resignation surprised Wall Street because it comes on the verge of the holiday season. It also raises questions about whether the company will be able to woo back customers it lost during the last year. The shake-up apparently was a mutual decision by the New York-based retailer, which wanted an executive with financial expertise at the helm, and by Kasaks, whose work to improve the quality of merchandise and stock more fashionable lines has not fully paid off, analysts said. Earlier this week, AnnTaylor reported that its second-quarter results rebounded to a profit of $627,000, or 3 cents a share, from a loss of $3.8 million, or 16 cents, a year ago. Sales, however, were dismal, falling 8.7% among its stores open at least a year.