In the weeks before Gustavo Arnal took his own life, there was growing concern among Bed Bath & Beyond officials and directors over the demands being placed on the chief financial officer and the stress of the intensifying financial crisis at the home-goods chain, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sue Gove, a board member who had taken over as interim chief executive officer in June, and some other board members thought Mr. Arnal was overwhelmed but didn’t want to replace the finance chief while the embattled retailer was in the midst of raising money, the people said.