Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
Introduction
AutoZone, Inc. (“AutoZone,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is the leading retailer, and a leading distributor, of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the Americas. We began operations in 1979 and at August 28, 2021, operated 6,051 stores in the United States (“U.S.”), 664 stores in Mexico and 52 stores in Brazil. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products. At August 28, 2021, in 5,179 of our domestic stores, we also had a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations and public sector accounts. We also have commercial programs in all stores in Mexico and Brazil. We also sell the ALLDATA brand automotive diagnostic, repair and shop management software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com, and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com. We also provide product information on our Duralast branded products through www.duralastparts.com. We do not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation services.
Human Capital Resources
We believe the foundation of our success is our culture, which defines how our employees (“AutoZoners”) take care of customers. Each AutoZoner works hard to Live the Pledge, share their passion for WOW! Customer Service and Go the Extra Mile every day to continue building and growing AutoZone for our customers.
As of August 28, 2021, we employed approximately 100,000 AutoZoners, approximately 62 percent of whom were employed full-time and the remaining 38 percent were employed part-time. About 90 percent of our AutoZoners were employed in stores or in direct field supervision, approximately 6 percent in distribution centers and approximately 4 percent in store support and other functions. Included in the above numbers are approximately 12,000 persons employed in our international operations. We have never experienced any material labor disruption, do not have any collective bargaining agreements and believe that relations with our AutoZoners are good.
Training & Development
We have a number of different types of jobs and career opportunities. While many of our AutoZoners follow more traditional career paths (e.g., part-time to full-time sales, store manager, district manager, regional manager, vice president), we encourage cross-functional development and support of AutoZoners as they expand their career into other departments and fields of interest. Many members of our senior leadership team have held positions in two or more areas of the business.
Recognition
The AutoZone Pledge and Values drive our success and foster a strong, unique culture of teamwork and customer service. We encourage the recognition of AutoZoners for a variety of accomplishments, such as going above and beyond to deliver Trustworthy Advice and WOW! Customer Service, taking initiative to prevent incidents and injuries, making contributions to help detect or report internal or external theft or providing significant service to help others. Whether they work in our stores, distribution centers, support centers or travel to support our customers and business, we believe AutoZoners everywhere should be recognized for their efforts and outstanding performance. We also recognize AutoZoners for their years of service to the organization and our customers.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”)
“Embraces Diversity” is one of our Values, and we have made great strides to lay a proper foundation for our DEI initiatives. With the oversight and support of a cross-functional Diversity Council and DEI Steering Committee, our DEI efforts influence and inform many parts of our human capital management function including talent acquisition, retention, professional development and workforce management. Our first business resource group (“BRG”) was established in 2014 (AutoZone Women’s Initiative). Since then, four other BRGs now support AutoZoners who share common interests or backgrounds and have a mission to contribute their voices, time and talent to helping AutoZoners succeed and grow in their careers.
Health and Safety
We are committed to providing a safe working and shopping environment for our AutoZoners and customers. Aligned with our values, we strive to continually monitor our working and shopping environment to keep our AutoZoners and customers as safe as possible. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to invest in supplies for the protection of our AutoZoners and our customers and increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting our stores. We also provided Emergency Time-Off benefit enhancements for both full-time and part-time AutoZoners and a one-time financial incentive for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to evolve, we are closely monitoring the changing situation and complying with public health guidance.
Additional information about our human capital resources can be found in our most recent Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) Report, which is available on our website. Our CSR Report is not, and will not be deemed to be, a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or incorporated by reference into any of our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“the SEC”).
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Store Operations
At August 28, 2021, our stores were in the following locations:
Store
Count
Alabama
120
Alaska
8
Arizona
162
Arkansas
70
California
641
Colorado
95
Connecticut
53
Delaware
17
Florida
397
Georgia
209
Hawaii
11
Idaho
32
Illinois
243
Indiana
160
Iowa
36
Kansas
54
Kentucky
102
Louisiana
129
Maine
14
Maryland
88
Massachusetts
83
Michigan
214
Minnesota
60
Mississippi
98
Missouri
120
Montana
15
Nebraska
24
Nevada
66
New Hampshire
23
New Jersey
117
New Mexico
63
New York
211
North Carolina
228
North Dakota
7
Ohio
277
Oklahoma
85
Oregon
53
Pennsylvania
211
Puerto Rico
50
Rhode Island
17
Saint Thomas
1
South Carolina
101
South Dakota
9
Tennessee
174
Texas
652
Utah
70
Vermont
2
Virginia
146
Washington
97
Washington, DC
5
West Virginia
45
Wisconsin
77
Wyoming
9
Total Domestic stores
6,051
Mexico
664
Brazil
52
Total stores
6,767
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Store Formats
Substantially all stores are based on standard store formats, resulting in generally consistent appearance, merchandising and product mix. Approximately 90% to 99% of each store’s square footage is selling space. In our satellite stores, approximately 40% to 50% of our space is dedicated to hard parts inventory, while our hub stores and mega hubs have 70% to 85% of their space utilized for hard parts. The hard parts inventory area is generally fronted by counters or pods that run the depth or length of the store, dividing the hard parts area from the remainder of the store. The remaining selling space contains displays of maintenance, accessories and non-automotive items.
We believe our stores are “destination stores,” generating their own traffic rather than relying on traffic created by adjacent stores. Therefore, we situate most stores on major thoroughfares with easy access and good parking.
Store Personnel and Training
We provide on-the-job training as well as formal training programs, including an annual national sales meeting with related cascading meetings at our distribution centers, regional offices and stores; store meetings on specific sales and product topics; standardized computer-based training to support culture, safety, salesmanship, compliance and product and job knowledge; and several specialist, vendor and third-party programs to support learning and development in areas requiring technical expertise and specific job knowledge. All domestic AutoZoners are encouraged to complete our in-house product knowledge program and Parts Expert certification, which is developed in partnership with our key suppliers. Training is supplemented with frequent store visits by management. Advanced leadership training is an additional area of investment that is used to deepen bench strength and support succession planning.
Store managers, commercial sales managers and managers at various levels across the organization receive financial incentives through performance-based bonuses. In addition, our growth has provided opportunities for the promotion of qualified AutoZoners. We believe these opportunities are important to attract, motivate and retain high quality AutoZoners.
All store support functions are centralized in our store support centers located in Memphis, Tennessee; Monterrey, Mexico; Chihuahua, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil. We believe that this centralization enhances consistent execution of our merchandising and marketing strategies at the store level, while reducing expenses and cost of sales.
Store Automation
All of our stores have Z-net, our proprietary electronic catalog that enables our AutoZoners to efficiently look up the parts that our customers need and to provide complete job solutions, advice and information for customer vehicles. Z-net provides parts information based on the year, make, model and engine type of a vehicle and also tracks inventory availability at the store, at other nearby stores and through special order. The Z-net display screens are placed on the hard parts counter or pods, where both the AutoZoner and customer can view the screen.
Our stores utilize our computerized proprietary Point-of-Sale System, which includes bar code scanning and point-of-sale data collection terminals. Our proprietary Store Management System provides administrative assistance, as well as enhanced merchandising information and improved inventory control. We believe the Point-of-Sale System also enhances customer service through faster processing of transactions, while the Store Management System provides simplified warranty and product return procedures.
Commercial
Our commercial sales program operates in a highly fragmented market, and we are a leading distributor of automotive parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations and public sector accounts in the Americas. As a part of the domestic store program, we offer credit and delivery to our customers, as well as online ordering through www.autozonepro.com or through the AutoZone Pro smartphone application. Through our hub stores, we offer a greater range of parts and products desired by professional technicians. We have dedicated sales teams focused on independent repair shops as well as national, regional and public sector commercial accounts.
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Store Development
The following table reflects our location development during the past five fiscal years:
Fiscal Year
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Locations:
Beginning
6,549
6,411
6,202
6,029
5,814
Sold (1)
—
—
—
26
—
New
219
138
209
201
215
Closed
1
—
—
2
—
Net new
218
138
209
199
215
Relocated
12
5
2
7
5
Ending
6,767
6,549
6,411
6,202
6,029
(1) 26 Interamerican Motor Corporation (“IMC”) branches sold on April 4, 2018.
We believe expansion opportunities exist in markets we do not currently serve, as well as in markets where we can achieve a larger presence. We undertake substantial research prior to entering new markets. The most important criteria for opening a new store are the projected future profitability and the ability to achieve our required investment hurdle rate. Key factors in selecting new site and market locations for stores include population, demographics, vehicle profile, customer buying trends, commercial businesses, number and strength of competitors’ stores and the cost of real estate. In reviewing the vehicle profile, we also consider the number of vehicles that are seven years old and older, or “our kind of vehicles”; these vehicles are generally no longer under the original manufacturers’ warranties and require more maintenance and repair than newer vehicles. We seek to open new stores in high visibility sites in high traffic locations within or contiguous to existing market areas and attempt to cluster development in markets in a relatively short period of time. In addition to continuing to lease or develop our own locations, we evaluate and may make strategic acquisitions.
Marketing and Merchandising Strategy
We are dedicated to providing customers with superior service and trustworthy advice as well as quality automotive parts and products at a great value in conveniently located, well-designed stores. Key elements of this strategy are:
Customer Service
Customer service is the most important element in our marketing and merchandising strategy, which is based upon consumer marketing research. We emphasize that our AutoZoners should always put customers first by providing prompt, courteous service and trustworthy advice. Our electronic parts catalog assists in the selection of parts as well as identifying any associated warranties offered by us or our vendors. We sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive parts through www.autozone.com, for pick-up in store or to be shipped directly to a customer’s home or business, with next day delivery covering approximately 82% of the U.S. population. Additionally, we offer a smartphone application that provides customers with store locations, driving directions, operating hours, product availability, the ability to purchase products and other information.
We also provide specialty tools through our suite of free services. Through our Loan-A-Tool program customers can borrow a specialty tool, such as a steering wheel puller, for which a do-it-yourself (“DIY”) customer or a repair shop would have little or no use other than for a single job. AutoZoners also provide free diagnostic and related services, including check engine light readings through our AutoZone Fix Finder service, testing of starters, alternators and batteries, battery charging and the collection of used oil for recycling.
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Merchandising
The following tables show some of the types of products we sell by major category of items:
Failure
Maintenance
Discretionary
A/C Compressors
Batteries & Accessories
Bearings
Belts & Hoses
Calipers
Chassis
Clutches
CV Axles
Engines
Fuel Pumps
Fuses
Ignition
Lighting
Mufflers
Radiators
Starters & Alternators
Thermostats
Tire Repair
Water Pumps
Antifreeze & Windshield Washer Fluid
Brake Drums, Rotors, Shoes & Pads
Chemicals, including Brake & Power
Steering Fluid, Oil & Fuel Additives
Oil & Transmission Fluid
Oil, Cabin, Air, Fuel & Transmission
Filters
Oxygen Sensors
Paint & Accessories
Refrigerant & Accessories
Shock Absorbers & Struts
Spark Plugs & Wires
Windshield Wipers
Air Fresheners
Cell Phone Accessories
Drinks & Snacks
Floor Mats & Seat Covers
Interior & Exterior Accessories
Mirrors
Performance Products
Protectants & Cleaners
Sealants & Adhesives
Steering Wheel Covers
Stereos & Radios
Tools
Towing
Wash & Wax
We believe customer satisfaction is often impacted by our ability to promptly provide specific automotive products as requested. Each store carries the same basic products, but we tailor our hard parts inventory to the makes and models of the vehicles in each store’s trade area, and our sales floor products are tailored to the local store’s demographics. Our hub stores (including mega hubs, which carry an even broader assortment) carry a larger assortment of products that are delivered to local satellite stores. We are constantly updating the products we offer to ensure our inventory matches the products our customers need or desire.
Pricing
We want to be the value leader in our industry, by consistently providing quality merchandise at the right price, backed by a satisfactory warranty and outstanding customer service. For many of our products, we offer multiple value choices in a good/better/best assortment, with appropriate price and quality differences from the “good” products to the “better” and “best” products. A key differentiating component versus our competitors is our exclusive line of in-house brands, which includes Duralast and the family of Duralast brands, ProElite, ShopPro, SureBilt, TruGrade and Valucraft. We believe that our overall value compares favorably to that of our competitors.
Brand Marketing: Marketing and Loyalty
We believe that targeted advertising and promotions play important roles in succeeding in today’s environment. We are constantly working to understand our customers’ wants and needs so we can build long-lasting, loyal relationships. We utilize advertising, direct marketing, loyalty programs and promotions primarily to highlight our great value, the availability of high quality parts and develop a relationship with an expanding base of customers. Broadcast and digital media are our primary advertising methods of driving retail traffic to our stores, while we leverage a dedicated sales force and our ProVantage loyalty program to drive commercial sales.
Store Design, Visual Merchandising and Promotional Execution
We design and build stores for high visual impact. The typical store utilizes colorful exterior and interior signage, exposed beams and ductwork and brightly lit interiors. Maintenance products, accessories and non-automotive items are attractively displayed for easy browsing by customers. In-store signage and special displays promote products on floor displays, end caps and shelves. We utilize in-store signage, creative product placement and promotions to help educate customers about products that they need.
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Purchasing and Supply Chain
Merchandise is selected and purchased for all stores through our store support centers located in Memphis, Tennessee; Monterrey, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, we have an office in Shanghai, China to support our sourcing efforts in Asia. In fiscal 2021, one class of similar products accounted for approximately 13 percent of our total revenues, and one vendor supplied approximately 10 percent of our total purchases. No other class of similar products accounted for 10 percent or more of our total revenues, and no other individual vendor provided more than 10 percent of our total purchases. We believe alternative sources of supply exist, at similar costs, for most types of product sold. Most of our merchandise flows through our distribution centers to our stores by our fleet of tractors and trailers or by third-party trucking firms. The distribution centers replenish all stores up to multiple times per week depending on store sales volumes.
We ended fiscal 2021 with 237 total domestic hub stores, which have a larger assortment of products as well as regular replenishment items that can be delivered to a store in its network within 24 hours. Hub stores are generally replenished from distribution centers multiple times per week. Hub stores have increased our ability to distribute products on a timely basis to many of our stores and to expand our product assortment.
As a subset of our domestic hub stores, we ended fiscal 2021 with 58 domestic mega hubs, an increase of 14 since the end of fiscal 2020. Mega hubs work in concert with our hubs to drive customer satisfaction through improved local parts availability and expanded product assortments. A mega hub store carries inventory of 80,000 to 110,000 unique SKUs, approximately twice what a hub store carries. Mega hubs provide coverage to both surrounding stores and other hub stores multiple times a day or on an overnight basis. Currently, we have over 5,900 domestic stores with access to mega hub inventory. A majority of these 5,900 stores currently receive their service same day.
Competition
The sale of automotive parts, accessories and maintenance items is highly competitive due to numerous factors, including name recognition, product availability, customer service, store location and price. AutoZone competes in the aftermarket auto parts industry, which includes both the retail DIY and commercial do-it-for-me (“DIFM”) auto parts and products markets.
Our competitors include national, regional and local auto parts chains, independently owned parts stores, online automotive parts stores or marketplaces, wholesale distributors, jobbers, repair shops, car washes and auto dealers, in addition to discount and mass merchandise stores, hardware stores, supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores and other retailers that sell aftermarket vehicle parts and supplies, chemicals, accessories, tools and maintenance parts. AutoZone competes on the basis of customer service, including the knowledge and expertise of our AutoZoners; merchandise quality, selection and availability; product warranty; store layouts, location and convenience; price; and the strength of our AutoZone brand name, trademarks and service marks.
Government Relations
We are subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations, many of which are complex, frequently revised and subject to varying interpretations. Some of the more significant regulations include, but are not limited to, regulations governing the disposal of hazardous materials, environmental regulations and occupational health and safety laws. For example, in connection with our used oil, oil filter and battery recycling programs, our customers may bring hazardous materials onto our property and our employees must abide by appropriate policies and procedures to ensure the safe handling of these materials before a third party takes possession for recycling or disposal. The terms of our contracts with third party vendors require that they are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, as an owner or operator of real property, we may be liable for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property.
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While compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental regulations, has not had a material adverse effect on capital expenditures, earnings or our competitive position to date, we can make no assurances as to the future costs of compliance. For more information, see the Risk Factor titled “Our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows may be adversely affected by the adoption of new laws, changes to existing laws, increased enforcement activity or other governmental actions.” in “Part I. Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this report.
Trademarks and Patents
We have registered several service marks and trademarks in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as in certain other countries, including our service marks: “ALLDATA Collision,” “ALLDATA Diagnostics,” “ALLDATA Shop Manager,” “ALLDATA Tech-Assist,” “AutoZone,” “AutoZone Rewards,” “Do-It-Yourself Doesn’t Mean You Have To Do It Alone,” “Get in the Zone,” “Parts Are Just Part of What We Do,” “ProVantage,” “The Best Parts in Auto Parts,” “Zone” and trademarks: “ALLDATA Manage,” “ALLDATA Mobile,” “ALLDATA Repair,” “AutoZone,” “AutoZone & Design,” “BatteryZone,” “Duralast,” “Duralast Aero Blade,” “Duralast Ceramic Blade,” “Duralast Elite,” “Duralast Flex Blade,” “Duralast Gold,” “Duralast Gold Cmax,” “Duralast GT,” “Duralast Platinum,” “Duralast ProPower,” “Duralast ProPower Plus,” “Duralast ProPower Ultra,” “Duralast ProPower AGM,” “Duralast Max,” “Econocraft,” “Loan-A-Tool,” “ProElite,” “ProElite & Design,” “Shop Pro,” “SureBilt,” “Tougher Through Technology,” “TruGrade,” “Valucraft,” “V & Design” and “Z-net.” We believe that these service marks and trademarks are important components of our marketing and merchandising strategies.
Seasonality
Our business is somewhat seasonal in nature, with the highest sales typically occurring in the spring and summer months of February through September, and the lowest sales in the months of December and January. During short periods of time, a store’s sales can be affected by weather conditions. Extremely hot or extremely cold weather may enhance sales by causing parts to fail; thereby increasing sales of seasonal products. Mild or rainy weather tends to soften sales, as parts failure rates are lower in mild weather and elective maintenance is deferred during periods of rainy weather. Over the longer term, we believe the effects of weather balance out, as we have stores throughout the Americas.
AutoZone Websites
Our primary website is at www.autozone.com. We make available, free of charge, at www.autozone.com, by clicking “Investor Relations” located at the bottom of the page, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, registration statements and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably feasible after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our website and the information contained therein or linked thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Information about our Executive Officers
The following list describes our executive officers, which are elected by and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The title of each executive officer includes the words “Customer Satisfaction” which reflects our commitment to customer service.
William C. Rhodes, III, 56—Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Customer Satisfaction
William C. Rhodes, III, was named Chairman of AutoZone during fiscal 2007 and has been President, Chief Executive Officer and a director since March 2005. Prior to his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Rhodes served in various capacities within the Company since 1994. Prior to 1994, Mr. Rhodes was a manager with Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Rhodes is a member of the Board of Directors for Dollar General Corporation.
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Jamere Jackson, 52—Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President – Finance and Store Development, Customer Satisfaction
Jamere Jackson was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer-Elect on September 13, 2020 and Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President – Finance and Store Development effective January 1, 2021. Prior to joining AutoZone, from 2018 to 2020, Mr. Jackson served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., a worldwide rental company. From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Jackson served as Chief Financial Officer of Nielsen Holdings plc, an information, data and measurement company. Prior to 2014, Mr. Jackson held a variety of leadership roles at General Electric Company. Mr. Jackson serves on the Board of Directors for Eli Lilly & Co. and Hibbett, Inc.
Philip B. Daniele, 52—Executive Vice President – Merchandising, Supply Chain and Marketing, Customer Satisfaction
Philip B. Daniele was named Executive Vice President – Merchandising, Supply Chain and Marketing in June 2021. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President – Commercial from 2015 to 2021, Vice President – Commercial Support from 2013 to 2015 and Vice President – Merchandising from 2008 to 2013. He was also a Divisional Vice President – Store Operations from 2005 to 2008. Prior to 2005, Mr. Daniele held several other key management positions with the Company.
Mark A. Finestone, 60—Executive Vice President – Strategy and Innovation, Customer Satisfaction
Mark A. Finestone was named Executive Vice President – Strategy and Innovation in June 2021. From 2015 to 2021, he was Executive Vice President – Merchandising Supply Chain and Marketing. From 2008 to 2015, he was Senior Vice President – Merchandising, and from 2002 to 2008, he was Vice President – Merchandising. Prior to joining AutoZone in 2002, Mr. Finestone worked for May Department Stores for 19 years where he held a variety of leadership roles which included Divisional Vice President – Merchandising.
Preston B. Frazer, 45—Executive Vice President – Store Operations, Commercial and Loss Prevention, Customer Satisfaction
Preston B. Frazer was named Executive Vice President – Store Operations, Commercial and Loss Prevention in June 2021. From 2019 to 2021, he was Senior Vice President – Store Operations. Prior to that, he held the position of Divisional Vice President in addition to serving as Vice President – Store Operations Support. He began his career with AutoZone in 2006 in Finance and has held several key functional roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining AutoZone, Mr. Frazer was a senior manager with the accounting firm of KPMG, LLP.
Thomas B. Newbern, 59—Executive Vice President – International, Information Technology and ALLDATA, Customer Satisfaction
Thomas B. Newbern was named Executive Vice President – International, Information Technology and ALLDATA in June 2021. From 2015 to 2021, he was Executive Vice President – Store Operations, Commercial, Loss Prevention and ALLDATA. From 2013 to 2015, he was Senior Vice President – Store Operations and Loss Prevention. From 2012 to 2013, he was Senior Vice President – Store Operations and Store Development. From 2007 to 2012, he was Senior Vice President – Store Operations, and from 1998 to 2007, he was Vice President –Store Operations. Prior to 1998, Mr. Newbern held several other key management positions with the Company.
K. Michelle Borninkhof, 47 — Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Customer Satisfaction
K. Michelle Borninkhof was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer during April 2021. Prior to that, she was Chief Information Officer and Vice President for U.S. Technology at McDonald’s since 2018. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Ms. Borninkhof spent 11 years with Walmart Stores holding various leadership roles including Vice President – International Technology Delivery. Throughout her career, Ms. Borninkhof held various roles in store retail, distribution center operations and process improvement.
Eric S. Gould, 52—Senior Vice President – Supply Chain, Customer Satisfaction
Eric S. Gould was named Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, in February 2021. From 2017 to 2021, he served as Vice President, Supply Chain Replenishment and from 2013 to 2017 he served as Vice President – Commercial Sales. He was also Vice President – Replenishment from 2003 to 2013. Prior to 2003, Mr. Gould held several other key management positions within the Company.
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Domingo J. Hurtado, 60—Senior Vice President – International, Customer Satisfaction
Domingo J. Hurtado Rodríguez was named Senior Vice President – International in September 2018. Prior to that, he was President – AutoZone de México. Mr. Hurtado has served in various capacities within the Company since 2001, which included leading the Company’s expansion into Mexico. Prior to 2001, he held different positions with RadioShack including Director General in Mexico and General Manager in Venezuela.
Dennis W. LeRiche, 53—Senior Vice President – Store Operations, Customer Satisfaction
Dennis W. LeRiche was named Senior Vice President – Store Operations in June 2021. From 2015 to 2021, he was a Divisional Vice President – Store Operations. Prior to 2015, Mr. LeRiche held several other key management positions with the Company.
Grant E. McGee, 59—Senior Vice President – Commercial, Customer Satisfaction
Grant E. McGee was named Senior Vice President – Commercial in June 2021. From 2007 to 2021, he was a Divisional Vice President – Store Operations. From 2004 to 2007, he was Vice President – Commercial. Prior to 2004, Mr. McGee held several other key positions with the Company.
Seong K. Ohm, 57—Senior Vice President – Merchandising, Customer Satisfaction
Seong K. Ohm was named Senior Vice President – Merchandising on October 26, 2020. Previously, Ms. Ohm served as the Group Commercial Development Officer for the Dairy Farm Group. Ms. Ohm also was the Chief Commercial Officer for Home Plus, the second largest retailer in Korea. Prior to these roles, she was Senior Vice President – General Merchandise Manager for both Walmart and Sam’s Club and Vice President/Divisional Merchandise Manager – Technology for Walmart Stores, Inc. Ms. Ohm began her career with General Electric.
Charlie Pleas, III, 56—Senior Vice President and Controller, Customer Satisfaction
Charlie Pleas, III, was elected Senior Vice President and Controller during 2007. Prior to that, he was Vice President and Controller since 2003. Previously, he was Vice President – Accounting since 2000, and Director of General Accounting since 1996. Prior to joining AutoZone, Mr. Pleas was a Division Controller with Fleming Companies, Inc. where he served in various capacities during his tenure from 1988 to 1996. Prior to 1988, he worked with Ernst & Young. Mr. Pleas is a member of the Board of Directors for Kirkland’s Inc.
Albert Saltiel, 57—Senior Vice President – Marketing and E-Commerce, Customer Satisfaction
Albert Saltiel was named Senior Vice President – Marketing and E-Commerce during October 2014. Previously, he was Senior Vice President – Marketing since 2013. Prior to that, he was Chief Marketing Officer and a key member of the leadership team at Navistar International Corporation. Mr. Saltiel has also been with Sony Electronics as General Manager, Marketing, and Ford Motor Company where he held multiple marketing roles.
Richard C. Smith, 57—Senior Vice President – Human Resources, Customer Satisfaction
Richard C. Smith was elected Senior Vice President – Human Resources in December 2015. He has been an AutoZoner since 1985, previously holding the position of Vice President of Stores since 1997. Prior thereto, he served in various capacities within the Company.
Kristen C. Wright, 45—Senior Vice President – General Counsel & Secretary, Customer Satisfaction
Kristen C. Wright was named Senior Vice President – General Counsel & Secretary effective January 2014. She previously held the title of Vice President – Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary since January 2012. Before joining AutoZone, she was a partner with the law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC.
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