Struggling department store operator Myer has appointed Paul McClintock as a non-executive director and chairman-elect, after current chairman Howard McDonald decided to stand down.

Mr McDonald will retire from the Myer board in October.

Mr McClintock is chairman of Medibank Private, the COAG Reform Council, Thales Australia, I-Med Network and the Institute of Virology, and a director of Perpetual.

He will retire as chairman of the COAG Reform Council and as a director of Perpetual to enable him to take up the appointment at Myer.

Myer described Mr McClintock as an outstanding, professional board member who was highly regarded for his wide and varied experience.

Mr McDonald has spent three years as chairman of Myer.

Myer also announced on Wednesday the appointment of Ian Morrice as a non-executive director.

Myer said Mr Morrice had more than three decades of retail experience, most recently holding the post of chief executive of The Warehouse Group in New Zealand.

Mr Morrice is currently a non-executive director of Metcash.

Myer has been battling falling sales in recent times and in July announced that it would make 100 jobs redundant.

Myer blamed the higher costs facing the company amid tough trading conditions across the retail sector.

In May, Myer warned that its full year profit could drop by up to 15 per cent.

Myer had been expecting its profit to fall by about 10 per cent for fiscal 2012, but it lowered that forecast to no more than 15 per cent below the $162.7 million it made in 2011.

Shares in Myer were 2.5 cents higher at $1.87 on Wednesday.