Sharon Leite, who resigned as CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe in 2023, is back in the chief executive role, the newly bought company announced last week. Leite, who serves as a Women in Retail Leadership Circle advisory board member, was the CEO of the vitamin and nutritional products specialty retailer from 2018-2023, resigning in January 2023 to head up Ideal Image. She then left to become CEO of Omni Retail Enterprises, whose brands include Bodybuilding.com, Pier1.com, and DressBarn.com.

In returning to New Jersey-based The Vitamin Shoppe, Leite will succeed Lee Wright, who replaced her when she left in 2023. Leite previously held leadership positions at Godiva Chocolatier, Sally Beauty, Pier 1 Imports, Bath & Body Works, and Gap Inc.

“After an incredibly rewarding and successful four-and-a-half years in the business, I’m thrilled to return to The Vitamin Shoppe,” Leite said in a press release, adding the retailer and its leaders are “primed for an exciting new era of expansion.”

The Vitamin Shoppe’s previous owner, Franchise Group Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November following significant losses. The Vitamin Shoppe was then sold to private equity firms Kingswood Capital Management and Performance Investment Partners (PIP) for $195 million.

In announcing Leite’s appointment to CEO, the private equity firms disclosed they had completed the acquisition of The Vitamin Shoppe. Michael Niegsch and Mark Genender, partners for Kingswood and PIP, respectively, said they looked forward to “investing in a variety of brand-building strategies,” including enhancing the company’s digital marketing and e-commerce capabilities, innovating the private brand portfolio, and working with existing and emerging third-party brands looking for a distributor.

In addition to serving on the WIRLC board, Leite also serves on the boards of Lovesac and Texas Christian University.