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CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Dollar Tree Inc. has added two members to its leadership team, naming John Flanigan chief supply chain officer and Larry Gatta chief merchandising officer for its Family Dollar banner.
Both Flanigan and Gatta spent time at Dollar General Corp. during the tenure of Rick Dreiling, the former Dollar General chief executive who in March was named executive chairman of Dollar Tree, part of a leadership restructuring announced around the time that the discount retail chain wrapped up its fiscal 2021 with a “transformative” fourth quarter, in the words of Mike Witynski, the company’s president and chief executive officer.
Witynski on May 11 said the latest personnel moves advance Dollar Tree’s efforts to drive supply chain efficiency and improve the operating performance of the retailer’s Family Dollar banner. “Both John and Larry have decades of experience and are proven leaders in small-box value retail, and I am extremely pleased to welcome them to our team,” he commented.
Flanigan most recently served as executive vice president of global supply chain at Dollar General. He held that post through April 2016. He joined Dollar General in 2008 and was promoted to executive vice president in 2010. Flanigan has 30 years of management experience in retail logistics. Before joining Dollar General, he was group vice president of logistics and distribution for Longs Drug Stores Corp., from October 2005 to April 2008. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing warehousing, inbound and outbound transportation, and facility maintenance for an operation that serviced more than 500 retail outlets. From September 2001 to October 2005, he was vice president of logistics for Safeway Inc., overseeing the distribution of food products from Safeway distribution centers to all retail outlets, and managing inbound traffic and transportation.
“Mike Witynski and I share a common vision to improve the organization’s supply chain performance through improved distribution center conditions, hiring and retention of teams, and efficiency improvements throughout the supply chain — from our suppliers to our store shelves. I am eager to drive our team’s contribution to the company’s performance through improved shopper and associate experience,” Flanigan said.
Gatta brings more than 35 years of retail industry and marketing experience to his new role. Most recently, as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for consumables at Dollar General, Gatta was responsible for the food, perishables, candy, snacks, beverage, paper, cleaning, pet and tobacco categories. He joined Dollar General in 2009 as vice president and divisional merchandise manager, responsible for food, pet, beverages, candy, snacks, perishables and the Market Store Format. In 2011, Gatta was promoted to senior vice president and general merchandise manager for discretionary, spending two years being responsible for soft lines, seasonal, hardware, housewares, stationery, electronics, gift cards and automotive. Prior to joining Dollar General, he was senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Longs Drug Stores, and before that he held leadership roles at Rite Aid Corp. and Phar-Mor Corp.
“In the current economic climate, households need Family Dollar to provide value and convenience to help stretch their budgets,” Gatta said. “Family Dollar is part of the solution for millions of households across the U.S. I will be focused on improving the banner’s productivity and improved operating performance.”
