Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
Leadership History
4 leaders · 2008 to present
Shane O'Kelly is the CEO of Advance Auto Parts, in the role since 2023. The first chief executive was Darren Jackson, from 2008.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane O'Kelly | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | Present | 3 |
| George Sherman | Interim Chief Executive Officer | 2016 | 2016 | < 1 |
| Tom Greco | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2016 | 2023 | 7 |
| Darren Jackson | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2008 | 2016 | 8 |
Advance Auto Parts serves professional installers and DIY customers with automotive replacement parts and related products. At January 3, 2026, it operated 4,066 Advance Auto Parts stores and 239 Carquest stores and served 809 independently owned Carquest stores. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The automotive retailer started as a tiny operation in Roanoke, Virginia when founder Arthur Taubman purchased a small chain of stores, eventually turning it into a sprawling national parts empire.
Advance sells replacement parts, batteries, maintenance products, accessories, chemicals, and tools to professional repair businesses and DIY customers. Its blended-box model serves both groups from the same stores, supported by hubs, distribution centers, commercial delivery, e-commerce, and independently owned Carquest locations.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2023 – Present
3 years (current)
He led the November 2024 Worldpac divestiture and the plan that closed 522 stores during fiscal 2025.
O'Kelly joined Advance in September 2023. Under his leadership the company sold Worldpac, approved a restructuring plan, completed store-footprint optimization, and focused its strategy on merchandising, supply chain, and store operations.
Interim Chief Executive Officer
2016 – 2016
0 years
Sherman was hired specifically to execute a brutal turnaround of the company's highly disjointed, incredibly inefficient supply chain following years of catastrophic underperformance.
As CEO, he managed the agonizingly slow integration of Carquest, but ultimately failed to close the massive operating margin gap with rivals AutoZone and O'Reilly, leading to his retirement.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2016 – 2023
7 years
He oversaw the $200 million DieHard purchase in 2019 and announced his planned retirement in 2023.
Greco served from April 2016 until August 2023. During his tenure Advance acquired the DieHard brand and designated Raleigh as corporate headquarters.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2008 – 2016
8 years
His tenure included the $2.04 billion General Parts International transaction that added Carquest and Worldpac.
Jackson became president and CEO in January 2008 and led Advance during the 2014 General Parts International acquisition.
Advance identifies intense competition, supply-chain execution, inventory availability, qualified employee retention, tariffs, technology implementation, and completion of its turnaround initiatives as material business risks.
Shane O'Kelly has served as president and CEO since September 2023.
Tom Greco served as CEO from April 2016 through August 2023.
Darren Jackson was CEO when Advance completed the General Parts International acquisition in 2014.
His tenure has included the Worldpac sale, restructuring, store-footprint optimization, and a plan focused on merchandising, supply chain, and stores.
Shane O'Kelly assumed the CEO role to execute a massive turnaround strategy aimed at improving store operations and supply chain efficiency.
Compare executive leadership tenures and strategic transitions
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