The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has named Paul Hertz president and CEO, effective immediately. He replaces Sam Martin, who left the Montvale, N.J.-based grocery chain earlier this year.
Since joining A&P in 2010, Hertz has served as COO. As president and CEO, he will be responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the company, including oversight and implementation of all business and marketing decisions, as well as support of ongoing growth initiatives.
In addition, the company has appointed Christopher McGarry, formerly EVP and general counsel, as chief administration officer and Nirup Krishnamurthy, formerly chief information officer, as chief strategy officer. McGarry and Krishnamurthy, whose appointments also are effective immediately, will report to Hertz. Greg Mays, who took on the president and CEO responsibilities following Martin’s departure, will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s board of directors.
“Paul and his team made significant progress in 2013 in improving both the company’s operating and financial results,” said Mays. “We believe that 2014 also holds great promise for further accomplishments; we expect to capitalize and improve upon last year’s performance, which will result in a stronger company and greater value for the company’s stakeholders. Paul’s mix of operational, managerial and retail experience makes him the ideal candidate to lead the company as we build on our operational momentum and focus on activities that will achieve projected sales results with a special focus on the needs of the customer.”
Added Hertz, “I look forward to working with the board of directors and the talented associates of A&P in this new capacity. A&P is a valuable franchise and a cornerstone in the communities in which we operate. We will work hard to meet the needs of our customers today and in the future.”
Hertz is a 27-year veteran of the retail industry, beginning his retailing career in 1987 as a manager with Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co. Previously, he held a variety of senior executive positions at Wild Oats Markets, Shopko Stores and Fred Meyer. Prior to joining A&P, Hertz was EVP of retail stores for OfficeMax, which he joined in 2007.
A&P says McGarry has been an important member of the company’s senior management team since joining in 2006 and overseeing the company’s legal, risk, human resources/labor and real estate functions. Prior to joining A&P, he was assistant general counsel and director of real estate at The Grand Union Co. McGarry also previously served as general counsel for Exel, a leading global logistics services provider. Krishnamurthy has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, including extensive background in driving large-scale business optimization and transformation efforts. Prior to joining A&P, Krishnamurthy served as the chief information officer at United Airlines and chief technology officer at Northern Trust Bank.
A&P operates more than 300 stores in six states under the A&P, Best Cellars, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, Pathmark, Superfresh and Waldbaum’s banners.
In the feature photo at top is Paul Hertz.
