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In the wake of the tragic death of 1-800-Mattress President Luis Barragan, the company is moving forward with a pair of new appointees to broader roles.

The company announced last week that Vice President and Chief Financial Officer William Johnson has been promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager, while longtime company man Joe Vicens takes on added responsibility for oversight of call center operations.

Johnson and Vicens will join Senior VP of Merchandising and Retail John O’Connell and Vice President of Human Resources Kathy Desmond as the second layer of padding underneath Founder and Chief Executive Officer Napoleon Barragan.

These two promotions come as a result of the younger Barragan’s death. Luis died on July 7 while vacationing with his family in Salisbury, Conn., drowning in a lake after experiencing cramps. He was pronounced dead later that day at Sharon Hospital.

“Our ability to absorb these changes from within is a positive reflection of our management team and specifically the contributions these senior executives have made in making 1-800-Mattress the leading mattress and bedding accessories brand in the world,” Napoleon Barragan said. “By realigning some reporting responsibilities, we are taking the necessary steps to assure the continued growth and expansion of our business for many years to come.”

Johnson joined 1-800-Mattress in 2002 after 26 years of senior financial experience with retailers such as Toymax International, Noodle Kidoodle, and Associated Dry Goods. He was also a consultant with Deloitte & Touche.

Vicens, who lives in Rockaway Park, was one of the first ever employees of the company that began in 1976, starting as a telephone sales bedding consultant and later moving up to supervisor of the call center and head of marketing. His first job consisted of handing out flyers in front of the company warehouse. With that experience, he said he feels he is a better worker now, as he had the opportunity to see how the company works.

“I feel very fortunate and grateful to Napoleon. It’s been exciting to be a part of this company as it grows,” Vicens said. “It’s definitely a team approach in the company, and I believe he’s got a really strong team. One of the things Napoleon has pride in is the fact that we are a Queens company. We’ve become international, but we still hold on to our roots.”

A graduate of St. John’s University, Luis Barragan was an active member of the Community Church of Douglaston and an integral part of helping to form a mission team to travel down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help rebuild the homes that were devastated by last year’s hurricanes. His funeral service was held at the Douglaston church with which he served.