Dollar Tree names new CEO
Dollar Tree Inc. has revealed that Michael A. Witynski, enterprise president of Dollar Tree, has been promoted to president and CEO, while Gary Philbin, who joined Dollar Tree in 2001 and became CEO in 2017, will retire after a retail career of 40-plus years. To ensure a smooth transition, Philbin will remain with the Chesapeake, Virginia-based company as an executive and member of the board of directors through Sept. 23.
“Mike is a proven leader, having joined the company in 2010 as SVP of stores and rising to president and COO of Dollar Tree Stores in 2017,” noted Executive Chairman Bob Sasser. “He was then promoted to enterprise president in 2019, where he was responsible for leading the merchandising, store operations, and supply chain functions for both the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar brands. Under Mike’s leadership, we have driven outstanding performance — first at Dollar Tree and most recently at Family Dollar. He helped put in place a broad range of operational and talent initiatives to position our company for an even more successful future, as witnessed by the recent successes at Family Dollar. I am delighted to have Mike Witynski step into this new leadership role.”
Before coming to Dollar Tree in 2010, Witynski held senior leadership roles in merchandising, marketing, private brands and operations over nearly three decades in the grocery industry.
“I am honored to take on this new role and excited about Dollar Tree’s opportunities to drive even more value for our customers and shareholders,” said Witynski. “We have great momentum; our sales and margins are encouraging; our work to improve the customer experience is driving traffic; and we are now capturing more of the benefits inherent in bringing the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar management teams together under one roof. It has been a privilege to work with Gary, and I wish him the best for the future.”
“The board and I are grateful to Gary Philbin for his steadfast commitment and tireless efforts over nearly two decades to help make Dollar Tree the company it is today,” added Sasser. “Gary’s leadership as CEO brought our banners together as one company in Chesapeake. Through his efforts, we have a succession plan in place to ensure the smoothest possible leadership transition. On behalf of the board, his colleagues and our associates, we thank Gary and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
“Mike has a deep understanding of every facet of our business and is well prepared to take over as CEO,” noted Philbin. “I look forward to his leadership in driving our initiatives at both Family Dollar and Dollar Tree banners to deliver great values, an exciting shopping experience and more value for our long-term shareholders.”
Philbin joined Dollar Tree in 2001 as SVP of stores, and then rose through the ranks, taking on positions of increasing responsibility. In September 2017, he became president and CEO of Dollar Tree Inc. During his time at Dollar Tree, Philbin drove the development of private brands, customer research and marketing, and operational excellence into store-focused initiatives. He was deeply involved in the evolution of the Dollar Tree store format, in ramping up the integration of Family Dollar, and in collaborating with the Family Dollar team on the new H2 format.
In December 2019, Duncan Mac Naughton departed as president of Family Dollar and the company tapped Witynski to lead the merchandising, store operations and supply chain functions for the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar business segments.