Lee Delaney Named CEO in BJ’s Wholesale Succession

Lee Delaney, a key figure in the transformation of BJ’s Wholesale Club, will take over as CEO, effective Feb. 2, as current CEO Christopher Baldwin transitions to a new role as executive director.

Baldwin has been CEO of the the Westborough, Mass.-based retailer since February 2016 and its chairman since 2008, while Delaney has been BJ’s president since September and the company’s chief growth officer since 2016. 

Delaney will also join BJ’s board of directors as part of the transition. Baldwin, who joined the company and the board in 2015, will serve as a strategic adviser to Delaney and will lead the board of directors. As president, Delaney was responsible for BJ’s retail, e-commerce, membership operations, merchandising, marketing and supply-chain organization, as well as service businesses such as travel, optical and home improvement.

“Lee’s strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in the transformation of BJ’s Wholesale Club,” Baldwin said in a statement. “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.”

BJ's is currently evolving its assortment at stores, including reducing its assortment and variety of brands with an eye on driving better top-line sales. 

Prior to joining BJ’s, Delaney was a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Co., and a leader in the firm’s consumer products practice. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

“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.”

BJ’s also said it is appointing Thomas Kingsbury, the former CEO of Burlington Stores, to the board of directors, also effective Feb. 2.

Kingsbury replaces Cameron Breitner, who is stepping down. “I’m thrilled to have Tom Kingsbury join our board,” Baldwin said. “His deep understanding of value retail and track record of building shareholder value will be extremely valuable as we continue to transform BJ’s Wholesale Club.”

Kingsbury was CEO of Burlington from 2008 to 2019. Prior to that, he was a senior EVP of information services, e-commerce, marketing and business development for Kohl’s Corp. Kingsbury also held management positions with May Department Stores Co., including president and CEO of its Filene’s/Kaufmann’s division. He is a member of the board of directors for Tractor Supply Co.

Breitner is a partner with BJ’s investor CVC; he joined the board in 2011. “Cameron has played a crucial role in the transformation of our company,” Baldwin said. “We are all very grateful for his support of our work.”

BJ’s currently operates 219 clubs and 144 BJ's Gas locations in 17 states.