Our Leadership
Amplifying Our Vision
From our stores to our corporate offices,
everyone at The Guitar Center Company is
united by music.
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Gabe Dalporto
Chief Executive Officer
Gabe Dalporto joined the Guitar Center Company as Chief Executive Officer in 2023 and has served as a member of the Board of Directors since December 2018. Before the Guitar Center Company, Gabe was Chief Executive Officer of Udacity, Inc., an online provider of technology education programs, from 2019 to 2022. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of LendingTree, a company where he has previously held various roles, including Chief Marketing Officer, President Mortgage & Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
He earned a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida and an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Tim Martin
Chief Financial Officer
Tim Martin serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Guitar Center Company. Tim returned to Guitar Center in 2023, previously serving as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer from 2012 to 2022. Prior to his return, Tim served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Torrid Holdings, Inc., a direct-to-consumer apparel, intimates and accessories brand from 2022 to 2023. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Land’s End from 2010 to 2012 and as Chief Financial Officer of Coldwater Creek from 2006 to 2009.
Tim graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in accounting.
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Mike Schultheis
EVP, Chief Stores Officer
Mike Schultheis is EVP and Chief Stores Officer for Guitar Center, where he is responsible for the expansive store network. He guides strategic initiatives across our 300-plus stores and directs a team of 6,000 employees, including retail store operations associates, sales associates, music instrument repair technicians and lesson instructors.
He brings a proven track record of over 30 years of optimizing operational efficiency, leading high-performing teams and delivering EBITDA margins at well-known companies such as PetSmart, Office Depot and Kmart. Prior to joining Guitar Center, he was the SVP of U.S. Stores at PetSmart, where he led over 1,500 stores alongside 45,000 associates. For 15 years, he held various senior leadership roles in sales and operations, focusing on delivering record growth, profit generation and organizational efficiency. Throughout his career, Mike has built selling cultures, managed service-based businesses, delivered deep product training and expertise, and propelled improvements in conversion. His customer-centric approach to enhancing profitability is supported by his results-driven, lead-from-the-front mindset.
Mike is a graduate of Adams State University with a degree in marketing.
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Jerry Brandehoff
EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer
Jerry Bradenhoff is the EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer for Guitar Center and leads our merchandising organization, which encompasses buying, planning and private label brands for our Guitar Center segment across all channels.
Before joining Guitar Center, Jerry was the chief merchant for Wayfair and held additional leadership roles during his tenure. He is a dynamic and inspirational retail executive with over 30 years of experience leading merchandising and product teams for world-class global brands, such as Gap Inc, PVH, and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. He has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation and profitability across diverse product categories, markets and channels.
Jerry plays a pivotal role in leading Guitar Center's strategic initiatives to drive newness and innovation, accelerating product launches. He sets the vision for continued growth by establishing the optimal product selection for each channel while managing inventory levels and the product life cycle to ensure business performance. He also works across the organization to drive gross margin, revenue, market share and customer satisfaction.
Jerry’s deep merchandising expertise and track record of success are his calling card for his leadership style. He’s dedicated to empowering teams, driving performance and fostering collaboration. His level of passion and enthusiasm for Guitar Center is infectious.
He is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a B.A. in History.
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Anne Buchanan
EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer
Anne Buchanan is the Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer for the organization. She assumed the role in June 2018, and she is responsible for the organization’s human resources strategy and enabling the Guitar Center Company to attract, motivate, develop and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce. Anne joined the company from Global Brands Group (GBG), where she led the human resources strategy for the fashion and retail business, which included BCBG, BCBGeneration, bebe, Hervé Léger, Joe’s Jeans and Juicy Couture. Prior to GBG, Anne served as the SVP of Human Resources for BCBGMAXAZRIA Group and has also served in various human resource roles with Smile Brands and Cadence Design Systems.
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Adolfo Rodriguez
EVP, Chief Technology & Information Officer
Adolfo Rodriguez is EVP, Chief Technology & Information Officer of the Guitar Center Company, where he is responsible for developing a comprehensive target state architecture and technology roadmap aligned with our strategic goals as a best-in-class omnichannel retailer. Prior to joining, he was the SVP of Technology Transformation at Advance Auto Parts, where he leveraged technology to improve customer and team member experiences across the company and led the Architecture, Engineering and Customer Contact Center organizations. Before joining Advance, Adolfo served as Vice President of Product Management for the ShareFile cloud service at Citrix and as General Manager of several smaller cloud services. He was previously Distinguished Engineer and CTO of Connectivity and Integration at IBM and Chief Architect of DataPower SOA Appliances.
Adolfo holds a B.A. in Mathematics and B.S., M.S., and Ph.D degrees in Computer Science, all from Duke University. He is a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
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Jennifer Thayer
President, Music & Arts
Jennifer Thayer is President of Music & Arts, where she leads the company’s strategic direction, operations, and growth across its nationwide network of retail stores, lesson programs, and school services. She drives performance across all business channels, advances customer and educator engagement, and deepens Music & Arts’ impact in the band and orchestra community.
She brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience in multi-unit retail, logistics, sales, and customer experience. Before joining Music & Arts, she served as President and CEO of Harvia US, where she led organizational expansion, operational efficiency, and brand growth in the wellness and technology sector. Her previous roles include Chief Commercial Officer at STG Logistics and Senior Vice President of Sales at XPO, where she was responsible for national go-to-market strategies and delivering double-digit EBITDA growth. Jennifer also spent over 15 years at Lowe’s Home Improvement, where she held senior leadership roles, including Regional Vice President, overseeing operations for 143 stores, and leading more than 25,000 team members. With a focus on developing talent, optimizing performance, and enhancing customer experience, she has led transformative initiatives across large, multi-unit organizations.
Jennifer studied Business Administration at Purdue Global University and completed executive leadership training at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
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Todd Lauer
SVP, Brand Marketing & Creative
Todd Lauer is SVP, Brand Marketing & Creative for Guitar Center, where he is responsible for leading the company’s marketing campaigns, visual merchandising, creative content, marketing research, organic social and public relations. He plays a pivotal role in shaping Guitar Center’s brand identity, driving omnichannel customer engagement and delivering consistent brand messaging across all marketing touchpoints.
With over 20 years of experience, Todd is an award-winning creative executive with extensive experience developing breakthrough marketing/advertising campaigns and product innovations for some of the world's top brands. Before joining Guitar Center, he was the Head of Creative for Empower, a financial planning company with over 19 million customers. Before that, Todd was the VP of Brand and Creative at LendingTree for over a decade, leading a top-performing in-house team that produced both award-winning brand creative and some of the best-performing digital marketing creative in the world.
Todd’s vision and leadership forge stronger connections with our customers, sharing the story of the iconic Guitar Center brand and its mission to inspire musicians at every stage of their journey.
He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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Zac Bogart
SVP, Digital Marketing
Zac Bogart is the SVP, Digital Marketing and joined the organization in January 2024. He oversees Guitar Center’s eCommerce channels, Contact Center and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) team. He is a data-driven digital marketing executive with deep experience leading high-growth teams and has a significant background in the music industry and pro audio sector. Most recently, he was CMO at ConsumerAffairs, a rapidly growing online marketplace where millions of consumers research purchases, connect with brands, transact, write reviews and stay updated on important news. Zac also served as Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Sweetwater, where he was responsible for building out the brand’s online footprint in the late 2010s, resulting in their accelerated digital growth. Additionally, he worked as Director of Customer Acquisition at Universal Audio. A graduate of the University of Washington, Zac is also an accomplished musician.
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