Dive Brief:
- SpartanNash said Monday that it has brought on a pair of executives to serve in leadership roles in a newly formed division that encompasses the grocery company’s finance, information technology and strategy groups.
- Ed Rybicki has assumed the role of senior vice president and chief information officer for the grocery distributor and retailer, while Brett Hoffman has become vice president and chief information security officer.
- The appointments follow SpartanNash’s announcement in June that it has agreed to be acquired by C&S Wholesale Grocers in a $1.77 billion-dollar transaction due to be completed later this year.
Dive Insight:
SpartanNash said the company’s decision to hire Rybicki and Hoffman reflects its strategy of depending on technology to improve its ability to serve wholesale customers and consumers.
Rybicki will direct SpartanNash’s technology group and will focus on innovation, operational efficiency and the company’s growth strategy. Hoffman, who will report to Rybicki, will lead SpartanNash’s cybersecurity strategy in its retail, supply chain and corporate units.
“As a customer-focused, innovative food solutions company, our technology must simplify work for our Associates, create a seamless experience for our wholesale customers, and support a rich, omnichannel journey for our shoppers,” SpartanNash CFO Jason Monaco, who will oversee the unit both executives are part of, said in a statement.
Rybicki served most recently as chief information and technology officer at Canadian food supplier Mastronardi Produce. He also held senior IT roles at companies including ventilator and respiratory diagnostics equipment maker Vyaire Medical,; food technology company Mérieux Nutrisciences; and auto parts supplier Delphi, according to SpartanNash.
Hoffman formerly served as vice president of enterprise security solutions and chief information security officer for consulting firm Inspire Security Solutions. Earlier, he worked for furniture maker MillerKnoll, employee benefits provider HealthEquity, direct-selling company Amway and Corewell Health, a healthcare company based in Michigan, SpartanNash said.
Rybicki and Hoffman are settling into their new roles as SpartanNash navigates a tumultuous period that included the departure of former Chief Strategy and Information Officer Masiar Tayebi, who left in April after four years with the grocery retailer and wholesaler. The company also disclosed in June that it had revamped its corporate structure and eliminated an unspecified number of positions.
SpartanNash is revamping its IT operations at a time when cybersecurity has taken on a high profile in the grocery industry.
In June, a cyberattack forced United Natural Foods, Inc. to temporarily take down its online systems, disrupting its ability to serve customers and costing UNFI hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Last November, a cyberattack against Ahold Delhaize caused a multiday e-commerce platform outage at the Dutch supermarket operator’s Hannaford banner and exposed personal data belonging to 2 million people, including current and former employees of the grocery company.
