ROANOKE, Va.– Advance Auto Parts has announced organizational changes made to reflect priorities designed to transform the business. The staffing changes are being organized under the following themes: "DIFM Acceleration," "DIY Transformation," “Availability Excellence" and "Superior Experience."
"The following leadership changes will help Advance Auto Parts move from words to action, and from acknowledging to committing to change," said Darren Jackson, president and chief executive officer. "In order to accelerate our business and gain some momentum, we as a company must act now."
The following appointments are effective immediately:
Jim Wade, executive vice president, customer development officer – commercial, will lead DIFM Acceleration, which is defined as implementing the strategy to maximize the company’s share of the commercial business. In order to execute this commercial strategy, a new team that is fully dedicated to growing the commercial business has been established and will be led by Wade.
Elwyn Murray, executive vice president, customer development officer – DIY, will lead DIY Transformation, which will focus on reigniting DIY customer traffic and experience to redefine and transform the DIY business.
Kevin Freeland, executive vice president, supply chain and information technology, will lead Availability Excellence, aimed at delivering industry leading sourcing, supply chain and inventory management capabilities that exceed customer expectations.
Wade, Murray and Freeland will continue to report to Jackson.
Ken Wirth, newly appointed senior vice president, customer experience officer, and Mike Marolt, newly appointed senior vice president, customer operations excellence officer will lead the Superior Experience Strategy. Superior Experience will focus on creating and delivering superior experience for customers through team members, in an operationally excellent environment. Wirth and Marolt will work in partnership with the area leadership to be catalysts of change and teachers of the core Advance values. Wirth and Marolt will report directly to Jackson and will join the company’s Executive Committee.
Wirth has been with Advance Auto Parts for more than 25 years. After serving in the United States Navy, he began his Advance career in 1983. He has served as a store manager, division manager and since 1991 has held various senior vice president positions. Wirth most recently served as the senior vice president, store operations – Area 5. In his new role, Wirth will continue to the lead the Area 5 (Northeast) Team.
Marolt has more than 20 years of retail operations experience. He joins Advance from eq-life, a firm that provides consulting services with health care systems to develop new retail health care products, where he most recently served for two years as president and CEO. Prior to his position at eq-life, Marolt held multiple positions with increasing responsibilities at Best Buy, including senior vice president of retail operations and services, senior vice president of loss prevention and risk management, vice president of loss prevention and risk management and director of loss prevention and risk management.
