Dive Brief:

• As part of its continuing turnaround efforts, GNC on Thursday announced the appointment of Nate Frazier as its chief operating officer, according to a company press release. Frazier was most recently the company's senior vice president of operations, where he led GNC's U.S. and Canada stores and operations teams. 
• The retailer also named Karlyn Mattson as its chief merchandising officer, effective Aug. 9. Mattson most recently worked as the general manager of merchandising strategy, new business development and women's fashion at Zappos. 
• Both Frazier and Mattson will report to CEO Josh Burris. 

Dive Insight:

GNC is continuing to build out its executive team as it works to transform its operations. 

Only five months ago, the company named a new CEO and CFO — both of whom were internal promotions. And about a year ago, the retailer was in the middle of filing for bankruptcy and warned it could close up to 1,200 of its stores. 

After canceling a bankruptcy auction, GNC was sold to Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, its largest investor and partner. In a press release this winter, the company said that, following its new ownership, a right-sized store portfolio and a clean balance sheet it was "well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in the health and wellness space." 

It seems to be taking action on that promise. Last month the company announced an "exclusive" agreement with Walmart to sell a selection of its products. Men's and women's vitamins and nutrition items are available at over 4,000 Walmart stores and online, and there are plans to add sports nutrition and weight-management products into the mix. 

Now the supplements retailer is tapping into its internal talent with the appointment of Frazier, who joined GNC in 2017 as vice president of franchise operations. Frazier previously held leadership positions at Abercrombie & Fitch, GameStop and Mattress Firm, among other roles. 

Similarly, Mattson has an extensive background in retail. Outside of her time at Zappos, she served as the chief merchandising officer at Famous Footwear and held senior leadership roles in merchandising at both Target and Macy's. Mattson will oversee omnichannel merchandising, brand strategy, marketing and product development with GNC. 

"Nate has been a catalyst of our retail turnaround and we know that Karlyn's wealth of consumer-centric merchandising expertise will result in a better experience for our consumers," Burris said in a statement. "These moves will further strengthen GNC's executive leadership team and accelerate our business transformation as we work to take our iconic brand to new heights."