UNFI names Erin Horvath to new supply chain post

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) appointed Erin Horvath to the new position of chief supply chain transformation officer, the grocery wholesaler announced Thursday.

Horvath will collaborate with teams across the company to help “build UNFI’s transformation agenda and future capabilities, drive value creation for shareholders and create an improving experience for customers and suppliers,” UNFI said in a statement.

Erin Horvath is the new chief supply chain transformation officer for UNFI. /Photo courtesy: UNFI

She begins work Monday and will report to UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas.

Horvath comes to UNFI after 17 years at AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. She most recently served as chief transformation officer there and also worked as president and SVP of distribution services. While there, she designed a five-year distribution and customer operations strategy, led the construction of several new distribution centers and created a diverse warehouse automation team.

“UNFI has a tremendous history and foundation in place, coupled with an exciting growth roadmap that is both aggressive and achievable,” Horvath said in a statement. “The food industry, like many industries, is experiencing significant change. UNFI’s focus on, and investment in, advancing technologies and transforming operations is a testament to leadership’s commitment to a long-term strategy that will best support customers and suppliers within this evolving landscape.”

Douglas became UNFI CEO in August 2021 and has worked to position the wholesaler’s leadership team to focus on operational priorities, the company said.

“As we work to be the most valuable partner to our grocery retailer customers, we must continue evolving our supply chain network, leveraging automation, creating new efficiencies and capabilities within our facilities, and using technology, data and insights to improve our customer experience,” Douglas said in a statement. “Erin has a wealth of experience, including a unique combination of strategy execution, operations, customer analytics, and software implementation. Throughout her career she has successfully worked across teams and departments and I’m looking forward to seeing how her experience and fresh thinking can best support Mark Bushway, our Chief Supply Chain Officer, and Louis Martin, our Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, as they partner together to drive positive results.”

UNFI supplies fresh, branded and private-label products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America, including independent retailers, supermarket chains, natural grocers, e-commerce companies and more.