Dollar General Hires Retail Media Veteran Austin Leonard to Lead DG Media Network

Dollar General has appointed Austin Leonard as vice president and general manager of DG Media Network (DGMN), the retailer's retail media arm. He will oversee the department, including go-to-market strategy, media operations, insights, media sales and performance measurement.

Leonard brings more than two decades of experience in advertising, media and retail, most recently having served as senior vice president of retail media at Publicis Groupe's Epsilon. His career also includes leadership roles at Walmart Connect, Sam's Club MAP, Rakuten, eBay and Smaato.

"As Dollar General Media Network continues to evolve, we are excited to welcome [Leonard] to the team to champion our next chapter of growth," Tony Rogers, SVP and chief marketing officer at Dollar General, said in a media release. "[Leonard's] deep retail media, marketing and tech background combined with a track record of developing effective partnerships will further facilitate meaningful connections between our partners and customers."

Dollar General emphasized DGMN's unique positioning within the retail media landscape, citing its access to "hard-to-reach customers" in rural markets where more than 80% of its stores are located.

Leonard holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Florida and an MBA in marketing from Georgia State University.

In May, DG joined the growing list of retailers bringing their retailer media networks in-house, selecting Kevel's API-based platform as the backbone of DG Media Network.

Leonard was one of 25 executives honored in P2PI's inaugural Retail Media Awards in 2023.