Springfield, Missouri, United States, December 2025 – Jim Blair has joined O’Reilly Auto Parts as the Vice President of Global Sourcing, bringing more than three decades of transformative leadership across global sourcing, supply chain, and retail operations in the automotive and electronics industries. In his new role, Jim will support the company’s global sourcing efforts, leveraging his extensive experience across Asia, Latin America, and North America.
Before joining O’Reilly Auto Parts, Jim Blair led a six-year transformation as a senior executive at CarZone, an Alibaba joint venture based in Shanghai, China. He was recruited to scale the company into a national aftermarket leader by building an end-to-end strategy connecting factories, logistics, retail, and online services. Under his leadership, CarZone expanded its offline retail network from 600 to 1,200 stores and achieved 65% revenue growth through an integrated omnichannel strategy. His turnaround of the export division from a $1M loss to $25M in revenue underscored his strong financial and operational acumen.
Earlier, Jim spent nearly two decades at AutoZone, where he held multiple leadership positions including Vice President of Global Sourcing and Quality, General Manager of Global Sourcing and Continuous Improvement, and Director of Merchandising. At AutoZone, he built the company’s global sourcing program from the ground up, achieving $250M+ in cost savings and transitioning to a direct-from-factory model. His strategic initiatives earned him the Outstanding Achievement Award and recognition for driving a 166% IRR on sourcing transformation.
Before AutoZone, Jim began his career at Sharp Electronics Corporation USA, where he rose through quality and engineering roles to become Director of Quality. He was selected by Sharp’s Japan headquarters to train global manufacturing plants across Asia and Latin America and developed quality systems that earned him the Sharp Worldwide Quality Award. This early experience laid the foundation for his expertise in scalable systems and international operations.
Across his career, Jim has demonstrated a consistent ability to lead change, build high-performing global teams, and scale sourcing systems for profitability, compliance, and innovation. His deep knowledge of category management, brand strategy, and operational excellence makes him uniquely positioned to support O’Reilly’s sourcing expansion.
About O’Reilly Auto Parts
O’Reilly Auto Parts is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States, with over 6,100 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, O’Reilly is powered by more than 94,000 team members and a strong culture rooted in exceptional customer service, community values, and employee growth.
From retail stores to distribution centers and corporate leadership, O’Reilly offers diverse career paths for professionals who want to make a meaningful impact in the automotive industry. Their mission to be the dominant supplier of auto parts is supported by a strong commitment to price, quality, and service.
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