Hirz Named CEO at Smart & Final

LOS ANGELES — Smart & Final Holdings Corp. on Friday said that David G. Hirz, president and chief operating officer, will be named chief executive officer effective Jan. 1, 2012 and will also become a member of the company’s board of directors.

Smart & Final’s current chairman and chief executive officer, George Golleher, will remain executive chairman of the board and continue to work closely with Hirz and the senior management team on strategic issues, the company said.

Golleher joined Smart & Final in May 2007 in conjunction with the company’s acquisition by Apollo Management L.P.

Hirz joined Smart & Final as president in April 2010. He is a former president of Food 4 Less and Ralphs Grocery Co., which are both divisions of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. He had joined Food 4 Less in 1991 and previously held posts with The Boys Markets.

“I have known and worked with Dave for almost 35 years, and he is the ideal executive to lead our dynamic company,” Golleher said in a statement. “Since coming to Smart & Final in 2010, Dave has worked extremely hard to understand our unique business and has led significant new business initiatives.”

Smart & Final operates about 250 non-membership, warehouse-style food stores for both consumers and foodservice customers.