Scott Kessler is leaving BJ’s Wholesale Club’s EVP and Chief Information Officer, effective Friday, May 26. Kessler joined BJ’s in 2017, succeeding Peter Amalfi who retired that year.
“There were no disagreements between Mr. Kessler and the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies, or practices which resulted in his resignation,” BJ’s said in an SEC filing announcing Kessler’s departure.
Why it matters: As a retail industry veteran, Kessler joined BJ’s during its digital transformation process and ensured that BJ’s had the technology, systems, and people to support the transformation.
- Before joining BJ’s, Kessler was EVP, Chief Information Officer for Belk from 2014 to 2016, and EVP, Products Technology at GSI Commerce.
The big picture: BJ’s digital transformation has powered a 650% growth, according to Chief Digital Officer Monica Schwartz. “The onset of the COVID pandemic caught us at a favorable moment in our digital development,” Schwartz said on the company’s Q4 earnings call in March.
“We began our digital transformation by innovating across technology, merchandising, marketing and operations,” said Schwartz. She also noted that a third of sales in Q4 were facilitated through digital.
As part of BJ’s investment in automation, Kessler joined a CIO automation council hosted by the software company UiPath last summer which explored high-impact use cases for automation.
“We’re very focused on automation and a lot of the advancement that’s happened across the industry over the last several years,” said Jeff Desroches, Chief Operating Officer, during the earnings call.
