R.H. Donnelley president to retire

Cary, N.C. — Peter McDonald, president and chief operating officer of yellow pages and Web publisher R.H. Donnelley, is retiring in September, the company said Friday.

George Bednarz, an executive at Donnelley’s headquarters in Cary, will take over McDonald’s operational role in his new position as executive vice president of enterprise sales and operations.

Donnelley stock (NYSE: RHD) has been pummeled in recent months as the economy has slowed. The firm’s recent decision not to pay a dividend also drew the wrath of Wall Street.

Bednarz had been vice president of enterprise operations, a position he took in January. He also led the creation of Donnelley’s online search businesses. He has worked in a variety of roles at Donnelley for 13 years.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Bednarz earned an MBA at Duke.