Guitar Center Appoints Adolfo Rodriguez as Executive Vice President, Chief
Technology & Information Officer
Technology and retail industry leader to enhance customer experience and optimize workplace processes
Westlake Village, CA (July 9, 2024) – Guitar Center, the world’s largest omni-channel musical instrument
retailer, announces the appointment of Adolfo Rodriguez as Executive Vice President, Chief Technology &Information Officer, effective immediately. Rodriguez joins Guitar Center with over 25 years of experience intechnology transformation, with an emphasis on Fortune 500 retail enterprises. In his new role, Rodriguez will
be responsible for the end-to-end technology vision and execution for the company, while leveraging disruptive
technologies to reimagine the customer experience. Rodriguez will report directly to CEO Gabe Dalporto.
“Adolfo’s extensive experience and exceptional ability to harness emerging technologies make him aphenomenal addition to Guitar Center as we forge ahead with our transformation,” said Guitar Center CEO Gabe
Dalporto. “His expertise in core retail systems and processes and his passion for transforming the customer
experience make him a perfect fit at Guitar Center. We are confident that under his leadership, we will reach
new heights and deliver groundbreaking solutions to our customers.”
Before joining Guitar Center, Rodriguez most recently served at Advance Auto Parts, where he spearheaded
innovative technological advancements across various functions, including e-commerce, stores, merchandising,inventory, pricing, and supply chain. Previously, Rodriguez held senior leadership positions at Citrix and IBM. AtCitrix, he led a cross-functional team responsible for the platform, business systems, and essential tools andfeatures for cloud services and products. At IBM, he ascended through multiple roles to become the CTO of hisproduct group. In this role he drove the charge to the cloud and provided technical, business, and talentleadership for a team of more than 350 engineers.
“I am thrilled to join Guitar Center at such a pivotal time in its history,” said Rodriguez. “As a passionate
musician and advocate for leveraging technology to drive business growth, I am eager to blend my professional
expertise with my personal experience. I look forward to evolving Guitar Center’s customer engagement andworkplace processes through technology.”
A musician and a humanitarian, Rodriguez co-founded Mind the Gap, a rock band dedicated to performing
exclusively at charity events. The group’s mission is to raise funds and awareness for various worthy causes. To
date, they have raised nearly $250,000, benefiting over 15 different non-profit organizations.

###About Guitar Center:

Guitar Center is the leading retailer of musical instruments, lessons, repairs, and rentals in the U.S. With morethan 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’ssister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 250 stores specializing in band & orchestralinstruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors, parents and students, andMusician’s Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. For more information
about Guitar Center, please visit guitarcenter.com.

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