At a Glance

  • Department store chain Nordstrom announced Thursday that it has appointed Dollar General's chief financial officer, Kelly Dilts, as its finance chief, effective August 29.
  • The announcement came a day after Dollar General said Dilts planned to resign on August 28 to "pursue other opportunities."
  • "She brings three decades of financial leadership experience and a proven track record of driving strong performance at a large omnichannel retailer," Nordstrom co-CEO Erik Nordstrom said in a press release. "We are confident she will help us strengthen our business, execute our priorities, and continue to create value for our customers."

Deep Dive

Nordstrom delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in May and now operates as a private company, following its $6.25 billion acquisition by the Nordstrom family and Mexico's Liverpool department store.

"I am honored to join Nordstrom at such a pivotal time for the company," Dilts said in a statement from Nordstrom. "This is a business with a rich heritage, a clear purpose, and a deep commitment to its customers, employees, and brand partners."

Nordstrom's previous finance chief, Kathy Smith, stepped down earlier this year to become Starbucks' CFO, with a compensation package that included a $5 million cash signing bonus.

According to Dilts' LinkedIn profile, she served as CFO at Dollar General for about two years. Previously, she spent about four years as the company's senior vice president of finance.

"The company has begun searching for her successor," Dollar General said in a securities filing Wednesday.

Before joining Dollar General, Dilts served as CFO of women's apparel retailer Francesca's Holding and as senior vice president of finance and investor relations at Tailored Brands, formerly Men's Wearhouse.

Her move from a discount retailer to a company known for premium offerings and high-quality customer service comes after Dollar General beat quarterly expectations in June and raised its full-year outlook. The company's net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2025, ended May 2, rose 5.3% to $10.4 billion.

"We believe the positive results in the first quarter demonstrate the importance of the value and convenience proposition we offer our customers, particularly during a period of continued uncertainty and financial constraints for the core consumer," Dilts said on the June earnings call.

Nevertheless, she noted that the tariff environment "remains dynamic and uncertain, with a high degree of variability in outcomes related to tariff impacts, including effects on consumer spending, merchandise costs, and the supply chain."