Guitar Center appoints Jerry Brandehoff as Chief Merchandising Officer

Guitar Center announces appointment of Brandehoff to the position, which will further GC’s initiatives to serve the serious musician

Westlake Village, CA (February 4, 2025) – Guitar Center, the world’s largest retailer of musical instruments, announces the appointment of Jerry Brandehoff to the position Chief Merchandising Officer, joining the company’s Executive Team on February 3. The announcement was made by Gabe Dalporto, Guitar Center CEO, and reflects the company’s ongoing growth initiatives.

“Jerry is a dynamic and inspirational retail executive with over 30 years of experience leading merchandising and product teams for world-class global brands,” said Dalporto. Through his leadership style, he is dedicated to empowering teams, driving performance, and fostering collaboration. He was selected after an extensive search, and he stood out as the clear leader to help deliver our critical strategic priorities this year.”

In his new position, Brandehoff will lead Guitar Center’s merchandising organization, which encompasses buying and planning of general merchandise and private label brands for Guitar Center across all channels. Dalporto continues, “This is a critically important role as we transform our assortment to serve the serious musician, with the outcome of accelerated revenue growth, margin expansion, improved customer satisfaction, tight inventory management, and ultimately, market share gains.”

Brandehoff joins Guitar Center from Wayfair, where he most recently held the position of Chief Merchant, as well as additional leadership roles during his tenure. Previously he held leadership positions with Gap Inc, PVH, and Williams Sonoma Inc. He will be based out of Guitar Center’s Support Center in Westlake Village, CA.

"I am both thrilled and honored to be joining the leadership team at Guitar Center," said Brandehoff. "Music and musical instruments play such an important role in the lives of musicians and fans alike, and Guitar Center has been at the heart of this for generations. I started playing the saxophone in elementary school, and fully appreciate the power that music and instruments can unleash on an individual. I look forward to taking guitar and keyboard lessons through the Guitar Center Lessons program."

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