PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United
Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) ("UNFI") today announced a
number of changes within the Company's senior management
team. The Company also disclosed that it has extended the
employment agreement of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Steven L. Spinner through
July 31, 2021.
"Our vision for industry transformation is taking hold as we
continue to integrate and provide our customers with scale,
services and differentiated distribution alternatives.
Development of our talent and succession planning are part of my
and the UNFI Board's responsibilities and we are confident the
leadership changes being announced will serve as an enabler towards
long-term success," said Spinner.
Senior management appointments and changes are:
- John Howard, who has
served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since August 2019, has been appointed Chief Financial
Officer, effective February 9,
2020;
- Eric Dorne, who serves as
the Company's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO) and oversees the Company's Integration Office and
Canadian Business, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer,
effective March 8, 2020;
- Sean Griffin, currently
UNFI's Chief Operating Officer, has announced his retirement
effective July 31, 2020. Griffin will
focus on continuing the Company's business transformation as well
as supporting other key business initiatives. He will remain with
the Company as an advisor until November
2020;
- Chris Testa, President
and Chief Marketing Officer, will take on additional
responsibilities leading UNFI's professional services, supplier
services, customer care and the Company's Canadian division, and
will report directly to Spinner.
Commenting on the leadership changes, Spinner said, "I am
pleased to recognize the contributions of John, Eric and Chris with
these new appointments and expanded responsibilities. John quickly
earned the respect of our finance and leadership teams while
serving as our Interim CFO and he has a great vision for
directional changes he is ready to implement as we continue to
strengthen our finance organization. Eric has consistently
delivered strong results in his nine years as part of the UNFI team
and I have great confidence that he will continue to do so in his
new role as COO. Lastly, since joining UNFI a decade ago,
Chris has established a track record of driving sustainable growth
and I look for more of this in the future. I am excited to continue
working with each of them in their new roles as we continue to
position UNFI as the distributor of choice across the United States and Canada."
"I truly appreciate Sean's leadership and dedication during his
10 years at UNFI, and particularly over the past 18 months as we
have successfully integrated SUPERVALU at a faster pace than
originally anticipated," Spinner said. "Sean agreed to extend his
time with UNFI following the acquisition of SUPERVALU and we
charted our path forward with his guidance. Sean is a tremendous
leader and great friend, and we all wish him all the best in his
retirement."
The Company also today announced additional leadership news:
- Paul Green, currently
UNFI's Chief Supply Chain Officer, will take on a new role as
President, Fresh, where he will lead the Company's meat and produce
merchandising teams and will report directly to Spinner. Green will
continue serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) until a
successor is named.
- Mike Stigers, currently
CUB CEO and Executive Vice President, Fresh, will transition UNFI's
Fresh teams to Green, once he has completed his move to his new
role. Stigers will focus on leading CUB and continuing the sale
process for the Minnesota-based
grocery retailer and will also report directly to Spinner.
- The Company has searches underway for a new Chief Information
Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer, both of whom will report to
Dorne.
- The Company is also creating a new Senior Vice President,
Brands role to further build its differentiated and exclusive
private brands offerings and oversee UNFI corporate branding
initiatives. This position will report to Testa.
About John
Howard
John Howard joined UNFI in July 2019 and has served as Interim Chief
Financial Officer since August 2019
after having joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Finance
and Accounting. Howard brings more than 20 years of
experience leading finance teams including senior finance positions
with the Valspar Corporation prior to its merger with
Sherwin-Williams in 2018. He holds Bachelor of Science and
Master of Science, Accounting degrees from the University of
Virginia.
About Eric Dorne
Eric
Dorne joined UNFI nine years ago after having spent extensive
time in the retail sector. As COO, Dorne will continue to
oversee the Company's Integration Office and UNFI's Information
Technology (IT) team, as well as oversee UNFI's supply chain which
includes distribution center operations, procurement and
transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration & Economics from Sacred
Heart University and a Master of Business Administration
from the University of
Massachusetts.
About Chris
Testa
Chris Testa
joined UNFI in 2009 as President of the Company's Blue Marble
Brands division, bringing his more than 15 years of experience in
consumer brand marketing to the Company. Testa was appointed UNFI's
Atlantic Region President when the company transitioned to a
regional structure in 2016. As President and Chief Marketing
Officer, Testa has overseen the U.S. and International Sales
organization, including Regional, National and Military Sales. He
is also responsible for UNFI's consumer Brands+ division and
Corporate Branding team.
About United Natural Foods
UNFI is North America's premier food wholesaler
delivering the widest variety of products to customer locations
throughout North America including
natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional
supermarket chains, ecommerce retailers, and food service
customers. By providing this deeper 'full-store' selection and
compelling brands for every aisle, UNFI is uniquely positioned to
deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers
everywhere. Today, UNFI is the largest publicly-traded grocery
distributor in America. To learn more about how UNFI is Moving
Food Forward, visit www.unfi.com.
FOR INVESTORS:
Steve
Bloomquist, 952-828-4144
Steve.j.bloomquist@unfi.com
FOR MEDIA:
Jeff
Swanson, 952-903-1645
Jeffrey.s.swanson@unfi.com
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SOURCE United Natural Foods, Inc.