BJ's Wholesale Club Names Christopher J. Baldwin President/CEO

BJ's Wholesale Club has appointed President/COO Christopher J. Baldwin to the position of president/CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2016, succeeding Laura J. Sen, who will take on the role of nonexecutive chairman.

In his new role, Baldwin will oversee the ongoing operations of BJ's, while Sen will join BJ's other board members in setting the long-term strategic direction of the Westborough, Mass.-based company. 

"I believe BJ's is operationally strong and well positioned for continued success,” said Sen, who has spent more than 25 years at the warehouse retailer and led it for the past seven. “In a very short period, Chris has demonstrated the necessary vision and leadership to take BJ's to the next level. Together, we have laid out a strategy for the company that will serve us for many years to come, and I believe now is the right time for Chris to assume his place as leader of BJ's."

Baldwin joined BJ's only last September, bringing more than 30 years of experience as an executive in the retail and consumer products arenas. Previously, he was CEO of Hess Retail Corp. before its sale to Marathon Petroleum Corp., and held a range of executive-level roles at Kraft Foods (Nabisco), The Hershey Co., and Procter & Gamble.

"This is both a challenging time for retail and one full of opportunity," noted Baldwin. "Our guide over the next several years will be a vision that is steadfastly focused on offering a distinctive shopping experience and deep value proposition to BJ's millions of loyal members."

Wholly owned by affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, CVC Capital Partners and its management team, BJ's operates 211 clubs and 126 gas stations in 15 states.