Inserra names Onorato president, COO

Inserra Supermarkets on Monday said it had appointed Ron Onorato as its new president and COO, succeeding 50-year company veteran Steve Chalas, who is retiring.

Onorato was most recently serving as SVP of operational initiatives at Ahold USA, and is a former president of the New York Metro division of Ahold USA’s Stop & Shop chain.

Inserra, based in Mahwah, N.J., operates 21 ShopRite supermarkets in New York and New Jersey. It is a member of the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative.

Onorato brings more than 35 years of industry experience to his new role at Inserra. He was the recipient of the Modern Grocer’s annual Publisher’s Award for Lifetime Achievement and was named the Connecticut Food Association’s Person of the Year. Onorato graduated from the University of Connecticut and the Wharton School of Business.

“Ron has an exceptional track record for operational expertise within the large-format supermarket sector and is known throughout the industry for his integrity and passion for his work,” noted Lawrence Inserra, Jr., chairman and CEO of Inserra. “We have no doubt he is the ideal leader to take our company into this next phase of development.”

Chalas’ history with Inserra dates more than 50 years, the company said. “Steve has a long history with our family, having worked side by side with my father in the earliest days to build Inserra Supermarkets into the company it is today,” Inserra said. “We will miss Steve and wish him nothing but the best in his well-deserved retirement.”