Guitar Center Appoints Jeff Gottlieb President of Music & Arts

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Apr 08, 2019, 10:00 ET

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., April 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Guitar Center, the world's largest musical instrument retailer, has announced the appointment of Jeff Gottlieb as President of its Music & Arts brand –specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving parents, teachers, band directors, college professors and students. The announcement was made by Guitar Center President and CEO Ron Japinga. Gottlieb will report directly to Ron Japinga and will be based in Maryland at Music & Arts' headquarters (close to his original hometown of Philadelphia).

Jeff Gottlieb, President of Music & Arts

Gottlieb enters his new role with significant retail experience, including executive positions at Sur La Table, Jockey International and Banana Republic. He is also an avid advocate for music education and plays guitar. While at Sur La Table, he led a rapid phase of growth and many of the growth strategies he executed for Sur La Table can bolster the ongoing expansion of Music & Arts. Additionally, he led the Sur La Table cooking school program, a business with many parallels to the lessons programs of Guitar Center and Music & Arts.

Gottlieb states, "I'm very excited to be joining Music & Arts. We have an incredible opportunity to continue to build a brand that is an extremely important part of people's lives. I have a deep appreciation for all different genres of music, and that appreciation is part of what attracted me to Music & Arts. This business is so much more than a retail store; as one of the largest music lesson providers, we offer tremendous value to our customers and students by giving them valuable skills they will use for the rest of their lives."

Guitar Center President and CEO Ron Japinga notes, "Jeff is a strong, confident and collaborative leader. One of the things that excites me about Jeff is his experience leading complex retail operations, including managing companies through strong growth initiatives. While his track record includes strong financial performance, it was very clear to me that Jeff has a people-first mindset and is passionate about customer service, both of which are critical for all leaders throughout the Guitar Center enterprise."

About Music & Arts:
The first Music & Arts opened in 1952. Today, Music & Arts has more than 500 retail and affiliate locations, 140 educational representatives, and teaches over 1.5 million lessons per year, making it one of the nation's largest school music retailers and lesson providers. Based in Frederick, MD, the company offers friendly service for everything musical in your life including instruments, lessons, rentals and repairs. Visit MusicArts.com for more information.

About Guitar Center:
Guitar Center is a leading retailer of musical instruments, lessons, repairs and rentals in the U.S. With nearly 300 stores across the U.S. and one of the top direct sales websites in the industry, Guitar Center has helped people make music for more than 50 years. Guitar Center also provides customers with various musician-based services, including Guitar Center Lessons, where musicians of all ages and skill levels can learn to play a variety of instruments in many music genres; GC Repairs, an on-site maintenance and repairs service; and GC Rentals, a program offering easy rentals of instruments and other sound reinforcement gear. Additionally, Guitar Center's sister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 200 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students, and Musician's Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. For more information about Guitar Center, please visit www.guitarcenter.com.

Media Contacts

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Guitar Center
818.735.8800
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Edelman
323.761.6523
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SOURCE Guitar Center