BJ’s Wholesale Club Announces Executive Team Changes

BJ’s Wholesale Club has named Christopher J. Baldwin Executive Chairman with Lee Delaney to succeed Baldwin as Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, Thomas A. Kingsbury, the former CEO of Burlington Stores, Inc., has been appointed to the Board. Delaney, currently president of the company, was also appointed to the company’s board.

The changes are effective Feb. 2, 2020.

In his role as executive chairman, Baldwin, who joined the company and the board in 2015, will serve as a strategic advisor to Delaney and will lead the board of directors.

“Lee’s strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in the transformation of BJ’s Wholesale Club,” Baldwin said. “We’re on track to deliver our fourth consecutive year of record earnings with strong cash flow and membership at historic levels. Lee’s knowledge of all areas of our business and strong record of driving profitable growth make him the ideal leader for our company. I look forward to working closely with Lee to ensure a smooth transition as we continue our transformation.”

Delaney joined BJ’s in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Chief Growth Officer. Prior to joining BJ’s, Delaney was a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Company, and a leader in the firm’s Consumer Products practice. Delaney holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Massachusetts.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of BJ’s Wholesale Club, and I’m honored to lead this company and this great team,” said Delaney. “We have a strong growth strategy in place and will continue to focus on providing outstanding value and service to our members. I look forward to continuing to work with Chris as we take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us, producing profitable growth and shareholder value over the long term.”

Baldwin joined BJ’s in September 2015 as President and Chief Operating Officer and Director and was named Chief Executive Officer in February 2016 and Chairman in 2018. Prior to joining BJ’s, he was Chief Executive Officer of Hess Retail Corporation, a spin-off of Hess Corporation. Before joining Hess Retail, he held various leadership roles at Nabisco, Hershey and Procter and Gamble. Baldwin is also the Chairman of the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association.