Burlington Stores

As chief executive officer of Burlington Stores, O’Sullivan is at the helm of the South Jersey-based off-price retailer’s expansion push. O’Sullivan joined Burlington six years ago from discounter Ross Stores, where he rose up the ranks to become president and chief operating officer in 2009. During his 16 years at Ross, O’Sullivan played a lead role in managing areas like stores, loss prevention, supply chain, finance, IT, human resources, merchandise allocations, merchant support and marketing.

Formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, the chain sells branded apparel, footwear, accessories and home goods at discounted prices across its footprint of 1,100-plus stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

As part of an effort to increase market share and visibility, the 53-year-old company plans to open 500 new stores by the end of 2028. Those growth goals are being boosted through the acquisition of store leases belonging to retailers that have filed for Chapter 11, O’Sullivan reported during the company’s latest earnings call.

This strategy included picking up several dozen former Bed Bath & Beyond stores last year and successfully bidding on leases for empty Big Lots locations this year. O’Sullivan told investors the approach “has allowed us to move into centers that we might not have otherwise been able to access.”