Lee Delaney, the president-CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club for the past year, who joined the company in 2016 as Chief Commercial Officer, has passed away at age 49.
The company said it was "due to presumed natural causes."
Christopher J. Baldwin, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, issued the following statement:
"We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the passing of Lee Delaney. Lee was a brilliant and humble leader who cared deeply for his colleagues, his family and his community. We extend our most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to his family, especially his wife and two children. We will honor his legacy and remember the extraordinary impact he had on so many. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
Bob Eddy, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, has been named Interim CEO by the Board of Directors, effective immediately.
The Boston Globe writes that "Delaney previously worked for Boston consulting firm Bain & Co. for 20 years."
“We will miss Lee immensely,” said Tamar Dor-Ner, who heads Bain’s Boston office, in a statement to the Globe. “He was brilliant and generous and funny and fun. An impossible number of us considered him a good friend or an extraordinary mentor and in many cases both. We send our love to his wife and sons."
