Guitar Center Names Mike Schultheis as EVP, Chief Stores Officer

Guitar Center has appointed Mike Schultheis as its executive vice president (EVP) and chief stores officer, effective immediately. In his new role, Schultheis will oversee and manage every facet of Guitar Center retail stores. He will report directly to CEO Gabe Dalporto. Schultheis’ appointment reflects Guitar Center’s ongoing initiatives to generate growth through an engaging and experiential store environment supported by deeply knowledgeable and engaging sales team.

Most recently, Schultheis was the SVP of U.S. stores for PetSmart, where he led the store teams to increased revenues of over 40% within five years. He practices a hands-on leadership style of learning from the front lines by often visiting stores in person and connecting with associates and customers. His previous experience includes building selling cultures, managing service-based business, delivering deep product expertise and training, and enhancing operational efficiencies – all while delivering an outstanding customer experience.

“With a proven retail track record of boosting revenue, expanding capabilities, streamlining processes, and developing top-notch teams, Mike will empower our Guitar Center stores to deliver the growth we know we are capable of,” Dalporto said. “He brings over 30 years of experience at well-known companies, such as PetSmart and Office Depot. He is the exceptional leader that our store teams deserve, and I am extremely excited for our Associates to collaborate with him.”

“I am thrilled to join the Guitar Center leadership team,” Schultheis said. “Guitar Center is a brand with a loyal customer base of the world’s most passionate musicians, and I plan to help further reinforce and bolster that to deliver a best-in-class store experience. I look forward to collaborating with Gabe and the other talented Associates to work toward this common goal.”

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