SpartanNash Co. has hired Tony B. Sarsam as president and chief executive officer. Sarsam will assume that role and join the board of directors, effective Sept. 21. Interim President and CEO Dennis Eidson will continue in his role as chairman of the board and will serve as executive chairman for a period of thirty days to ensure a smooth transition with Sarsam.
Sarsam is an accomplished CEO who has a unique blend of consumer products and supply chain expertise in the food industry, which positions him especially well to lead SpartanNash Co. Sarsam most recently served as CEO of Borden Dairy Co. Inc. where he led business growth and positive trends in a challenging industry. He successfully led Borden through its recent restructuring and restored the business to a new foundation for future growth before his departure in July 2020.
Prior to Borden, Sarsam served as CEO of Ready Pac Foods Inc., where his focus on innovation and service transformed that business into a growth engine, delivering a 60 percent revenue increase in less than five years. Earlier in his career, Sarsam enjoyed over twenty years in progressive leadership roles at PepsiCo before joining Nestlé, where he served for three years as president of Nestlé's Direct Store Delivery Co., a $4.5 billion pizza and ice cream business. Sarsam holds a master's degree in management from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Arizona State University.
"SpartanNash's board of directors has conducted an extensive search over the past year, and we are extremely confident we have recruited an exceptional leader to continue the legacy of our company as a trusted provider of grocery products," said Eidson. "Not only does Tony possess the background and expertise to lead SpartanNash in the coming years, his core values and history of visionary thinking and strategic execution are in direct alignment to achieve our vision to be a best-in-class business that feels local, where relationships matter."
"I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead this incredible organization," said Sarsam. "I think of SpartanNash as over 100 years young, with a rich history and a promising future. I am looking forward to working with our 19,000 dedicated associates to further strengthen our company and extend our success well into the future."
"On behalf of our board, the SpartanNash executive leadership team, and the company's family of 19,000 associates, we'd like to thank Dennis for his leadership and commitment to the company since he joined SpartanNash in 2003, and particularly these past thirteen months serving in his interim role," said Lead Independent Director Doug Hacker. "The board is confident that we have found an exemplary successor to Dennis in Tony Sarsam and we look forward to a bright future for SpartanNash."
