Rosie Expands Operations Teams

E-commerce platform Rosie said it has hired three new staffers to accelerate expansion and meet increased digital shopping demand from independent retailers. Rosie said it saw a 900% increase in companies that have signed on to platform during the pandemic, which has led to a doubling of its staff size.

Bret Conard was named SVP of data and integrations and will oversee scaling Rosie’s proprietary data software along with third-party integrations. He has more than 20 years of experience in software development and professional services. At Levi Strauss, RCM Technologies and United HealthCare, he played key roles in implementing and managing global supply chain and compliance initiatives, which now allows him to analyze data from all sizes of businesses. He also previously served on the Retailer Owned Food Distributors and Associates advisory council.

Jonathan Kotenko was appointed head of retailer support and will oversee a growing team of support specialists who service hundreds of independent retailers across the country. With more than 14 years of experience, he joins Rosie from UNFI, where he managed technical support teams for the wholesaler, Supervalu and other retailers.

Heather Sandford was named head of onboarding, leading a team of technical integration specialists and onboarding agents who are charged with the launch processes for all of Rosie’s retailers. She previously was the owner of The Piggery, an artisanal butcher and a food consultant for wholesalers/distributors.

“We are so excited for Bret, Heather and Jonathan to join us during this dynamic period of growth,” said Nick Nickitas, co-founder and CEO of Rosie. “Each of these leaders bring diverse and valuable industry experience, elevating our operational capabilities alongside the evolving needs of our partners. Our mission is to help independent retailers win—and these strategic hires enable us to continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our partners as well as accelerate our innovation pipeline.”