Fiske was at Bath & Body Works for four years. During that period, the Columbus-based chain saw annual revenues grow from $1.8 billion to nearly $2.6 billion, and same-store sales reversed yearly declines.

Fiske is joining 367-store Eddie Bauer in a time of transition for the outdoor-apparel retailer. The company is in the midst of a turnaround, and earlier this year Eddie Bauer shareholders rejected a proposal by private-equity firms Sun Capital Partners Inc. and Golden Gate Capital to acquire the retailer for about $614 million. Eddie Bauer remains traded on the Nasdaq.

Sales-wise, locally based Eddie Bauer reported a strong first quarter last month, when same-store sales jumped 9.5% year over year and total revenues rose 10%, to $214 million. However, the company still posted a net loss of $44.8 million.