Dive Brief:
- Music gear retailer Guitar Center has appointed Mike Schultheis executive vice president and chief stores officer. Schultheis will oversee and manage all aspects of the company’s retail stores. Schultheis began his new position on Oct. 7.
- Schultheis joined Guitar Center from PetSmart, where his most recent position was senior vice president of U.S. stores, the company said in a Tuesday press release. He will report directly to CEO Gabe Dalporto.
- Guitar Center said his appointment supports “ongoing initiatives to generate growth through a fun, engaging and experiential store environment.”
Dive Insight:
Guitar Center hit a low note during the worst of the pandemic, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company exited bankruptcy after a reorganization boosted liquidity and added new equity and debt capital.
With Schultheis’ appointment, Guitar Center is bringing on a leader with more than three decades of experience and a "proven retail track record of boosting revenue, expanding capabilities, streamlining processes, and developing top-notch teams," Dalporto said in a statement.
In his most recent role at PetSmart, Schultheis “led the store teams to increased revenues of over 40% within five years,” the company said in its announcement. The also retailer described his leadership style as hands-on, saying he often visits stores in person to connect with employees and customers.
As chief stores officer, Schultheis will lead a team of 6,000 employees who fill a variety of roles, including retail store operations associates, sales associates, music instrument repair technicians and music lesson instructors.
The company has substantially revamped its C-suite after emerging from Chapter 11. Dalporto took over as CEO nearly a year ago, replacing Ron Japinga, who had led the company for about seven years. At the same time, the company named Tim Martin as its CFO.
At the beginning of this year, the company named Zac Bogart senior vice president of digital marketing, overseeing the retailer’s e-commerce channels, contact center and customer relationship management team. And Adolfo Rodriguez in July was appointed executive vice president and chief technology and information officer.
Guitar Center has over 300 physical stores in the U.S. and an e-commerce operation. The company’s portfolio includes Music & Arts, which operates more than 250 specialty retail stores focused on school band and orchestra sales; e-commerce site Musician’s Friend, and Audio Visual Design Group, which designs and installs audio, video and lighting systems.
