The Home Depot Names New Executive VP of Merchandising

The Home Depot (Atlanta) has promoted William “Billy” Bastek Executive VP of Merchandising, effective immediately. A 33-year veteran of the home-improvement chain, Bastek has served in several leadership positions across its merchandising organization.

Most recently, he was Senior VP of Hardlines, responsible for merchandising and marketing strategies for the hardware and garden departments. Prior to that, he was Merchandising VP of Hardware and Tools, where he oversaw the growth and transformation of the power tools and automotive departments in stores and online.

Under Bastek, the merchandising team has led the modernization of the power tools and outdoor power categories, driving an industry-wide shift from corded or gas-powered to battery-powered equipment, with an ecosystem of tools powered by the same battery platforms. He and his team also drove the growth of The Home Depot’s Halloween and holiday categories both online and in-stores, which have achieved record sell-through over the past several seasons.

“Billy is an experienced merchant, leader and mentor who is known for his innovative approach to merchandising, transforming The Home Depot’s product assortment and bringing incredible value to our customers,” Ted Decker, Chair, President and CEO of The Home Depot said in a news release. “We’re fortunate to have a talented bench of senior leaders like Billy, as well as future leaders across the company, and I look forward to working with him in his new and expanded role.”

Bastek replaces Jeff Kinnaird, who has decided to leave The Home Depot.

The company operated a total of 2322 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico at the end of its 2022 fiscal year.