SpartanNash names Amy McClellan as chief marketing officer

Amy McClellan, vice president of fresh merchandising for retail at SpartanNash, has been promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

SpartanNash said Monday that McClellan takes over the post effective immediately. In her new role, she will lead the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based grocery distributor and retailer’s marketing function and report to President and CEO Tony Sarsam.

McClellan’s elevation to marketing chief comes after Lori Raya, chief merchandising and marketing officer at SpartanNash, left the company this past summer to become Mid-Atlantic division president at The Kroger Co. SpartanNash currently doesn’t list a chief merchandising officer on the corporate leadership page of its website.

“Promoting from within is a key component of our people-first culture. Amy has brought invaluable expertise and leadership to SpartanNash, and this role is a natural progression in her career path,” Sarsam said in a statement. “We look forward to implementing her creative, data-driven strategies for enhancing our retail branding, expanding our e-commerce business and growing our total market share among primary and secondary shoppers.”

McClellan (left) has served as vice president of fresh merchandising for SpartanNash’s retail operations since early March. In that role, she oversaw fresh food categories at the wholesaler’s 145 corporate stores and 2,100 independent retailer customers. She was promoted to the position after serving as division vice president of retail at SpartanNash and senior vice president of retail operations and merchandising at Martin’s Super Markets, the post she held when joining the company after the acquisition of the Indiana grocer in January 2019.

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Before coming to SpartanNash, McClellan had spent over 20 years at Martin’s. She started her career at the South Bend, Ill.-based chain as a part-time cashier while in high school and advanced to roles of increasing responsibility, including as communications specialist, market research supervisor, loyalty and marketing program manager, director of marketing, vice president of sales and marketing, and senior vice president of retail operations and merchandising.

McClellan also serves on several boards, including on the board of directors at Ohio grocer Buehler’s Fresh Foods, which appointed her to the post in late October.

Overall, SpartanNash serves independent and chain retail grocery customers and military customers in all 50 states the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as internationally. The company owns and operates 145 supermarkets under such banners as Family Fare, Martin’s, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Related:SpartanNash names Amy McClellan to head fresh merchandising