Kelly Dilts Leaves Dollar General for Nordstrom CFO Role

Kelly Dilts, who has been instrumental in steering Dollar General through significant operational changes and achieving substantial stock gains, is set to bring her expertise to Nordstrom. Dilts resigned from her role as EVP and CFO at Dollar General on July 11, with her final day scheduled for August 28. She will join Nordstrom, Inc. as CFO on August 29.

Dilts joined Dollar General in July 2019 as SVP of finance, where she oversaw various financial aspects including planning, procurement, margin planning, decision science, analytics, and investor relations. Prior to this, she served as EVP and CFO at Francesca’s Holding Corp. and held senior finance roles at other major retailers. Her extensive experience in financial leadership has been recognized by Nordstrom co-CEO Erik Nordstrom, who praised her proven track record of driving strong results at large-scale omnichannel retailers.

Dilts' tenure at Dollar General saw her implement a Back-to-Basics strategy, which included using AI to analyze self-checkout purchases and identify stores with high levels of theft. This strategy led to the elimination of self-checkout options in most stores, resulting in a significant reduction in shrink and improved gross profit margins. In Q1 2025, Dollar General's gross profit as a percentage of sales rose to 31%, up by 78 basis points, largely due to Dilts' efforts in shrink mitigation.

Dilts' move to Nordstrom comes at a time when the retailer is no longer publicly traded, having completed its transition to private ownership under the Nordstrom family and El Puerto de Liverpool. Dilts succeeds Cathy Smith, who left Nordstrom in March to join Starbucks as CFO. Dilts expressed her enthusiasm for joining Nordstrom, highlighting the company's strong legacy, clear sense of purpose, and deep commitment to its customers, employees, and brand partners.

Dilts' departure from Dollar General leaves the company in search of a successor. Despite the challenges faced by Dollar General, including shifting consumer needs, regulatory pressures, and competitive headwinds, Dilts' strategies have positioned the company for continued growth. As she transitions to Nordstrom, Dilts will have the opportunity to implement similar transformative strategies at another major retailer, leveraging her extensive experience and proven track record in financial leadership.