BJ's Appoints Bob Eddy CEO; Laura Felice CFO

Bob Eddy, the longtime executive of BJ’s Wholesale Club who was appointed interim CEO following the unexpected passing of Lee Delaney earlier this month, has been appointed president and CEO as part of a slate of executive appointments that the company said would continue its ongoing transformation.

Eddy will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join BJ’s board of directors. Laura Felice, currently SVP and controller, has been appointed EVP and chief financial officer, replacing Eddy in this role.

Bob Eddy

The Westborough, Mass.-based retailer also announced additional appointments to further strengthen its management team. Paul Cichocki, currently EVP, membership, analytics and business transformation, has been named EVP, chief commercial officer, and will oversee merchandising, membership, marketing and analytics. Bill Werner, currently SVP, strategic planning and investor relations, has been appointed EVP, strategy and development, and will lead the company’s market expansion and key strategic initiatives.

These changes are effective immediately.

“Bob’s leadership, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the business have been pivotal in driving BJ’s Wholesale Club’s transformation and record growth across all key metrics. We delivered industry-leading results this past year and made significant progress on each of our long-term strategic pillars under Lee’s leadership and we’ll continue to honor his legacy,” Christopher Baldwin, executive chairman, said in a statement. “Looking ahead, the board and I are confident that Bob is the right person to lead the company and to drive profitable growth and long-term shareholder value.

“We remain committed to accelerating our transformation and to delivering outstanding value and service to our members,” Baldwin continued.  

Delaney, who had taken over from Baldwin as CEO a little more than a year ago and helped to drive industry-leading performance during the pandemic, passed away April 8 after suffering a medical emergency while out jogging near his home in Wellesley, Mass., according to an obituary. He was 49.

Eddy joined the BJ’s in 2007. He assumed the role of EVP, chief financial officer in 2011 and was appointed chief administrative officer in 2018.

Prior to joining BJ’s, Eddy served multinational manufacturing, technology, retail and consumer products companies as a member of the audit and business advisory practice of PwC in Boston and San Francisco. From 2013 to 2017, Eddy chaired the Financial Executives Council of the National Retail Federation. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of The Boston Children’s Hospital. Eddy is a graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.

“In the last year, we’ve truly transformed our business by every measure, and we continue to accelerate our strategic initiatives,” Eddy said in a statement. “I’m honored and humbled to lead this growing company and great team. We are a much stronger and better company today than we were at the time of our IPO in 2018. I look forward to continuing to work with Chris, our board of directors and our entire leadership team, including Laura, Paul and Bill, to build on this momentum and take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us.”

In her new role, Felice will have oversight of finance as well as controls, accounting, tax, treasury, risk management, audit and investor relations. “Laura is ideally positioned to serve as our CFO and drive the next phase of our strategy,” Eddy said. “She has played an integral role in transforming our balance sheet and in capitalizing on opportunities to invest back into our business. Under her leadership, we’ll continue to invest in growth initiatives to create value for our shareholders.”

Felice joined BJ’s in 2016 and is a former executive with Clarks Americas Inc., a shoe manufacturer and retailer. Additionally, Felice worked at PwC in Boston. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.

Cichocki joined BJ’s in 2020 from Bain & Company’s Boston office where he was a partner and had served more than 20 years working with clients across a range of industries including retail, consumer products, financial services and food and beverage. Prior to Bain, he worked as an operating manager at Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo. Cichocki attended Harvard Business School, where he earned an MBA with distinction. He is also a graduate from the University of Massachusetts, where he received a bachelor’s degree in operations management with high honors.

Werner has been with BJ’s since 2012. Prior to joining the company, Werner was a director in the deals practice at PwC in Boston from 2007 to 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and accounting from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

BJ's Wholesale currently operates 221 clubs and 151 BJ's Gas locations in 17 states.