Stater Bros. Markets' board chairman retires

Phil Smith is retiring as chairman of the board of Stater Bros. Markets, to be replaced by CEO Pete Van Helden, the grocer announced Wednesday. 

Sean Varner, managing partner of Varner & Brandt LLP, has been appointed vice chairman. Smith, who has been involved with the retailer for decades, will remain on the board of directors, and Van Helden will remain CEO of the company.

“It has been a privilege and honor to serve the Stater Bros. team and our loyal customers over the last 35 years,” Smith said in a statement. “With Pete and Sean’s leadership, the company will be in capable hands, and I look forward to seeing them take Stater Bros. to the next level.”

Former Stater Bros. Markets Chairman Phil Smith /Photo courtesy Stater Bros. Markets

During Smith's tenure with Stater Bros., the company grew from fewer than 100 stores to more than 170 locations throughout Southern California, the company said in a release.

Smith started with Stater Bros. in 1987 as a controller, and was promoted to vice president-controller in 1998. From there, he held various finance and accounting leadership roles, before eventually serving as the company’s executive vice president finance, chief financial officer and chief accounting officer. He retired in 2012, but stayed on as a consultant at the request of late Executive Chairman Jack H. Brown. In 2016, Smith was asked to serve as chairman of the board, following Brown's death.

“On behalf of the board and Stater Bros. employees, I would like to thank Phil for his years of dedicated service to the company, our teammates and our customers. We wish him the best as he embarks on the next journey in his life,” said Van Helden in a statement.

Van Helden joined Stater Bros. Markets as president and chief operating officer in 2013. In 2016, he was appointed to chief executive officer by Brown. In 2021, he was appointed vice chairman of the board of directors.

Varner is the managing partner of Southern California law firm Varner & Brandt LLP. He has more than 25 years of legal and business expertise in corporate and business law, real estate transactions, development and land use, finance and technology. Varner was appointed to serve as corporate secretary and general counsel of Stater Bros. Holdings, Inc. in 2021.

“Varner & Brandt’s relationship with Stater Bros. goes back many years, and is based on mutual respect and aligned values,” said Varner in a statement. “I am honored to serve as vice chairman and look forward to helping Stater Bros. achieve even greater success in the future.”

Last week, Stater Bros. announced the promotion of Greg McNiff to chief operating officer. As COO, McNiff will lead the company’s marketing, retail and distribution departments. He will also still remain the company’s president and will continue to serve on its executive leadership team.

Stater Bros. Markets is headquartered in San Bernardino, California, and has been in business for 85 years. The company operates more than 170 stores in seven counties in Southern California and has approximately 18,000 employees.