EXECUTIVE CHANGES: NASH FINCH NAMES EXECUTIVE VP, PRESIDENT, RETAIL...UNIFIED WESTERN GROCERS NAMES SMITH EXECUTIVE VP...ALBERTSONS NAMES GROUP VP, GROCERY MERCHANDISING

NASH FINCH NAMES EXECUTIVE VP, PRESIDENT, RETAIL

k it has named Michael Lewis executive vice president and president of retail. In his new position, Lewis will be responsible for operations, retail merchandising and marketing, real estate and construction. Lewis, whose 25 years of retail experience includes a stint as vice president of the No Frills division of Loblaw Cos., Toronto, was most recently president of Conquest Management Corp., also in Toronto, a consulting firm specializing in growth strategies for retail companies.

UNIFIED WESTERN GROCERS NAMES SMITH EXECUTIVE VP

LOS ANGELES -- Unified Western Grocers here has named Philip Smith executive vice president and chief marketing/procurement officer. Prior to this position, Smith was the senior vice president of procurement, a title he was given following a merger between Certified Grocers of California, Stockton, Calif., and United Grocers of Oregon. Before the merger, Smith was vice president of procurement for Certified Grocers, and before that, he worked for Market Wholesale Grocers, San Rafael, Calif.

ALBERTSONS NAMES GROUP VP, GROCERY MERCHANDISING

BOISE, Idaho -- Albertsons here named Duncan Mac Naughton group vice president, grocery merchandising. In his new position, Mac Naughton will oversee center store categories, including grocery, dairy, frozen, beer/wine/liquor and the company's fuel center operations. Most recently, Mac Naughton was the group vice president of grocery for H-E-B, San Antonio, where he worked for six years. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., in various category planning and marketing positions.

TREE OF LIFE CEO TO RETIRE WHEN SUCCESSOR NAMED

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Tree of Life here said last week Rick Thorne, its chairman and chief executive officer and board member of Wessanen, Tree of Life's Netherlands-based parent company, will retire following the selection and transition of his successor. Thorne joined the company in 1983, and has been president and CEO since 1987. Ad Veenhof, Wessanen's chairman, said he will spend at least 50% of his time at Tree of Life during the transition period. Late last month, Wild Oats Markets, Boulder, Colo., said it ended its primary distribution arrangement with Tree of Life because of longstanding distribution problems that led to inadequate in-stock rates.