Dollar General has rehired its former SVP and General Merchandise Manager, James Thorpe, to rejoin the company as EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer. Thorpe will start his new job immediately to replace David D’Arezzo, who departed from the company Aug. 6, 2015.
Thorpe is the second Dollar General executive to come out of retirement this summer. Former SVP Jeff Owen came back to the company in June as EVP of Store Operations.
Thorpe served in his prior position from May 2006 until his retirement in July 2012. He went on to serve as President of JW Thorpe & Associates, Inc.
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Prior to working at Dollar General, Thorpe held various positions with Sears Holdings Corporation from 1991 to 2006, where his last position was VP and General Merchandise Manager of Hard Home for the Sears Home Group. Thorpe began his career in 1981 at The MAXIMA Corporation, where he held various project administration and analyst positions. He also worked as a marketing program manager at Zenith Data Systems.
“Thorpe is an accomplished merchant who has a strong understanding of our core customer and a passion for our business,” said Todd Vasos, CEO at Dollar General. “Given his proven track record, we are excited for him to return to Dollar General. Thorpe’s addition helps strengthen our leadership team so that we can focus on capturing growth opportunities at an accelerated pace.”
