Guitar Center has announced the arrival of two new executives to the company leadership team. Ron Japinga will join the executive leadership team as the new executive vice president of Inventory Management and Supply Chain. Japinga joins the Guitar Center organization after an eight-year career at West Marine, where he was executive vice president of Merchandising, Planning and Logistics. Prior to that, Ron was a VP-level executive with Kohl’s Department Stores. Joining Ron as part of the team is Susan Starnes, the new vice president of Services. Starnes joins Guitar Center after a 10-year career history with Lowe’s, where she was responsible for Repair Services, Sales and Development. Prior to her work with Lowe’s, Susan was a top consultant with Bain Capital in Boston.
GC has also confirmed the departure of John Bagan, executive vice president of Merchandising, effective August 1. Bagan was a member of the executive leadership team for more than six years at Guitar Center. Further, 25-year Guitar Center veteran Grant Sheffield was announced as the new vice president of Retail Transformation. In this role, Sheffield will oversee a host of new structural changes being implemented in stores across the country.
