At Home, in expectation of the retirement of chairman and CEO Lee Bird, has formed an interim office of the CEO helmed by Jeff Evans, president and chief merchandising officer; Jerry Murray, CFO; and Ashley Sheetz, COO.
Erik Ragatz, At Home’s lead director, will serve as executive chairman. The At Home board of directors has initiated a search to identify the company’s next CEO.
Bird joined At Home as CEO in December 2012 after leadership roles at companies including Nike and Old Navy. At Home has positioned itself the past decade to provide big assortments of home goods and seasonal furniture and decor at sharp values. During Bird’s tenure, the company expanded from 58 stores and $364 million of revenue to 268 stores and almost $2 billion in revenue today. He also led the rebranding of the company as At Home in 2014 and oversaw the launch of its online offering.
At Home added Bird steered At Home through the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded the development in 2017 of the company’s loyalty program, which has grown to more than 15 million members. He also presided over At Home’s 2021 acquisition by Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm.
“On behalf of the company, I want to thank Lee for his tremendous leadership of At Home over the last decade,” Ragatz said. “Lee helped build At Home into one of the great retailers across industries. Today, At Home is the go-to destination for home décor and holiday shoppers across the country. As a leader and mentor, Lee has had a profound impact on At Home’s thousands of employees and will remain an important member of the At Home family for years to come.”
Ragatz is chairman of the board of Snap One Holdings Corp., and he serves as lead independent director of Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. and Caliber Collision. Until recently, he was a Hellman & Friedman partner.
