Dollar Tree promotes new chief legal officer

Chesapeake-based Fortune 500 discount retailer Dollar Tree announced Thursday that it has appointed John S. Mitchell Jr. as its new chief legal officer and corporate secretary. He will start in the roles Aug. 11.

Mitchell joined Dollar Tree in 2021 as the company’s senior deputy general counsel, after previously working as a partner at the law firm of Williams Mullen.

“John is a highly respected attorney whose sharp legal acumen and steady leadership have guided us through moments of significant change,” Dollar Tree CEO Mike Creedon said in a statement. “He understands our business, our people and the importance of protecting and advancing our mission. This promotion from within our ranks is the result of thoughtful succession planning and a clear demonstration of something our Dollar Tree associates often hear me say, ‘Show it’s a career, not just a job.’”

Mitchell succeeds Jonathan B. Leiken, who is leaving Dollar Tree in August after two years. Mitchell earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University.

Earlier this month, Dollar Tree announced it completed the roughly $1 billion sale of its Family Dollar business segment to New York-based global asset management firm Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management, a New York-based investment firm. Net proceeds from the sale, previously announced in March, are estimated to total approximately $800 million.

Headquartered in Chesapeake, Dollar Tree operates more than 9,000 stores and 18 distribution centers across 48 states and five Canadian provinces, under the Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada brands. The company employs about 150,000 people.