Does The Fresh Market’s New Hire Signal Its One Step Closer to Going Public?

The Fresh Market Inc. has appointed Adrian Bartella as CFO, effective Jan. 17. Bartella has more than 15 years of experience leading finance and accounting teams, most recently as CFO for the last nine years at Hudson Group, the largest travel retailer in North America. 

Bartella succeeds The Fresh Market CFO Jim Heaney, who has held that role since September 2020.

The Fresh Market made news last July when it filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This marked the second IPO for the Greensboro, N.C.-based, Apollo-backed grocer, which operates 159 stores in 22 states. It was publicly traded from 2010 to 2016, at which point it went private by Apollo Global Management, along with an investment from its founder, Ray Berry, and his family.

Tapping Bartella, who has experience in taking a company public, could be a sign that The Fresh Market is one step closer to its goal of being publicly traded.

Adrian Bartella

Bartella led the SEC registration process during his tenure as CFO at Hudson Group during its approximate $750 million IPO in February 2018. He also spearheaded the roadshow marketing process with institutional investors, and subsequently working with equity research analysts and presenting on quarterly earnings calls, The Fresh Market said in a release. 

He earned his education degrees in corporate finance from Europe University Viadrina in Frankfurt, Germany, and his graduate degree in commerce from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I am very excited to welcome Adrian Bartella to The Fresh Market team,” said Jason Potter, CEO. “Adrian has an exceptional track record in retail and finance and is a proven executive with significant experience in helping companies navigate the public markets.”

Voted the Best Supermarket in America by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards; America’s Best Customer Service 2021 by Newsweek and Statista; and a top most trusted grocery retail brand for specialty and natural/organic foods in the 2022 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, The Fresh Market currently operates 159 stores in 22 states across the U.S.