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Management Team

True Value guides its retailers by providing solid direction and programs proven to increase their retail sales. Our people are True Value's greatest asset. They're at the core of our brand and exemplify what our name is all about. With experienced leadership in place, profitable retail growth drives the entire organization. It's why we're in a solid position to help our customers achieve success and deliver a competitive advantage to all independent hardware retailers.

 

Chris Kempa

Chris Kempa

Chief Executive Officer

Chris Kempa serves as True Value's Chief Executive Officer. Kempa joined the Company in November, 2019 and previously served as Chief Commercial Officer, where he rapidly implemented and executed an integrated merchandising, sales and pricing go-to-market strategy.

Kempa has a long track record of successfully leading businesses in the retail channel and has over 25 years of experience in the product distribution sector. He comes to True Value from ORS Medco, where he most recently served as chief executive officer and group president. Prior to that he was an officer at Grainger with responsibility for its international business.

Kempa holds an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, as well as a master’s certificate in project management from George Washington University.

 
 

 

Cathy Anderson
 

Deborah O'Connor

President and Chief Financial Officer

As President and Chief Financial Officer, Deborah O’Connor oversees Finance, Information Technology, Legal and Operations.  She joined True Value in May of 2015 and previously served as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer and led the IT organization.

O’Connor has been an instrumental leader in transforming the business and accelerating investments to further support all independent hardware retailers.  Having worked in various finance roles at wholesale/retail and service companies, O’Connor has a wealth of distribution and retail experience.  Since 2018, she has been a member of the Menasha Corporation audit committee and board of directors.

Before joining True Value, O’Connor was the senior vice president of integration and finance at Office Depot, playing a critical role in the operational and financial implementation of the merger with OfficeMax.  Prior to the merger, O’Connor was at OfficeMax serving as both interim CFO and senior vice president and chief accounting officer.  O’Connor was also with ServiceMaster, as senior vice president and controller, where she oversaw numerous acquisitions including Terminix, TruGreen/ChemLawn, American Home Shield and Merry Maids.  She started her career with Arthur Andersen, working in the firm’s audit division.  O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Arizona State University.

 

William Donahue

John Armbrecht

Vice President, Chief Technology Officer

As Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, John Armbrecht is responsible for all technology and platforms supporting True Value’s wholesale distribution business and the company’s technology strategies to support business functional needs. Armbrecht began his work with True Value in October, 2016 as the Senior Director of Enterprise Technology. He joined True Value after serving more than 15 years in technology leadership for multiple retail and wholesale companies including Kohl’s, Belk Stores, OfficeMax, and Sears.

Prior to his move into technology leadership, Armbrecht held multiple retail operational leadership and management positions. This combination of retail operations and technology leadership experience has equipped him to drive transformational technology programs that are both tactical and innovative. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Governors State University and studied telecommunications production engineering at Liberty University.

 

Chico Gersappe

Chico Gersappe

Vice President of Pricing and Sales Operations

As Vice President of Pricing and Sales Operations, Avynash (Chico) Gersappe is responsible for optimizing True Value’s pricing strategies for all merchandising categories and customer segmentations. His role includes leading the sales operations team as well as managing modeling, analysis and reporting of sales data, retail execution and customer service operations.

Gersappe is an experienced leader in delivering tangible value through strategic revenue growth and value exchange initiatives. He joined True Value in 2019 from USG Corporation, where he oversaw revenue models, strategic price moves, rebates and incentives as Senior Director for Pricing, Analytics & Sales Operations. Prior to USG, he held the role of Senior Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers for 12 years, advising on go-to-market transformation including new revenue and costing models, sales force and channel reorganization. Chico holds an MBA in Strategy and General Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a member of the Professional Pricing Society (PPS).

Paul Green

Paul Green

Senior Vice President, Merchandising

Paul Green joined True Value in March 2020. He is a customer-focused senior executive with a successful track record of strong leadership and positive impact in multiple functional areas, including product management, digital merchandising, e-commerce, procurement, operations & logistics, pricing, software development and financial oversight. He brings a passion for driving innovation in product development.

At McMaster-Carr Supply Company, a multibillion-dollar, privately owned e-commerce and catalog-based distributor of hardware, tools, raw materials and maintenance equipment and supplies, Green began as a Warehouse Manager and was continuously promoted through a number of positions, culminating in Chief Merchandising & Supply Chain Officer.

Green began his career as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer, qualified in the operation and maintenance of Navy nuclear propulsion plants as well as ship-handling and navigation. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt for three years. Green earned a Master of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL; completed training at the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek, SC; and earned a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Lyndsi Lee

Lyndsi Lee

Senior Vice President, Supply Chain

As Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, Lyndsi Lee drives end-to-end supply chain optimization, develops integrated planning & logistics strategies and builds best-in-class sourcing programs. She has been instrumental in leveraging her extensive operations expertise to increase service levels and identify operational efficiencies for True Value.

Lee's experience spans over 18 years in delivering tangible business results through optimizing business process and continuous improvement. She has held leadership positions with Boston Consulting Group and The Home Depot, where she began her career.

Lee holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Decision and Information Sciences from the University of Florida.

 

Jean Niemi

Jean Niemi

Senior Viice President of Marketing and Communications

As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jean Niemi is responsible for the brand’s marketing and advertising efforts as well as the development of digital and e-commerce strategies, employee and retailer communications, brand PR, executive engagements, media relations, events and meetings.

Niemi joined the company in 2014 from Kraft Foods Group where she was head of Corporate Affairs with responsibilities for external and internal communications as well as community involvement. Prior to that, she was at The Home Depot for almost nine years guiding strategic communications and corporate positioning initiatives including brand, executive and industry communications. She also worked across business units to develop integrated traditional, digital and social media campaigns.

Niemi holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University. She is affiliated with the Arthur W. Page Society and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

 

Theresa Shea

Theresa Shea

Vice President, General Counsel

As Vice President and General Counsel, Theresa Shea provides leadership over the Company's legal department and serves as the Corporate Compliance Officer.  Prior to her promotion to the General Counsel role, Shea served 10 years as True Value's Assistant General Counsel for Labor & Employment. In that role, she worked as the primary negotiator for the Company's collective bargaining agreements and resource for the Human Resources organization.  Shea also led the Inclusion and Diversity Council from 2015 through 2018. 

Before joining True Value, Shea spent five years at United Airlines as Counsel and Senior Counsel, Labor and Employment.  She began her career as a junior attorney at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago. 

Shea earned her Bachelors of Arts in English and Education and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.