SpartanNash shakes up corporate staff
SpartanNash has reorganized its corporate structure in an effort to "better position our company to grow," according to a spokesperson for the grocery retailer and wholesaler.
The changes include the elimination of an unspecified number of positions as well as promotions, reassignments and the establishment of new job levels, the spokesperson said, without providing specifics.
People whose employment by SpartanNash has recently ended include Matt Van Gilder, a 19-year SpartanNash veteran who had served since 2019 as the company's director of e-commerce and digital experience. Van Gilder announced in a Thursday LinkedIn post that his career at SpartanNash "has come to an end as part of some broader organizational changes."
Van Gilder was instrumental in helping SpartanNash scale its online shopping capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a profile in Crain's Grand Rapids Business, which named him to its 40 Under 40 list last year. He also developed a training program for SpartanNash employees who assemble online orders in its grocery stores.
Brian Jobin, who was director of SpartanNash's vendor management office, also posted on LinkedIn on Thursday that he is no longer in his position.
In addition, employees who worked in marketing, graphics and logistics roles for SpartanNash have posted on LinkedIn during the past few days that they are seeking jobs.
SpartanNash has also recently parted ways with several senior executives. The company's chief merchandising officer and chief strategy and information officer both left in April, and its executive vice president of corporate retail departed in December.
"We will continue to evolve - as we have throughout our rich 140-year history," SpartanNash's spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Friday.
The organizational changes at SpartanNash come as the company's retail operations play a growing role in driving its business ahead. SpartanNash's retail sales were up almost 20% during the first quarter of 2025, while sales in its wholesale division - which accounts for more than two-thirds of the company's revenue - declined by more than 2%.
SpartanNash has been investing in its retail business, which spans locations in 10 states. The Michigan-based company named a new vice president of retail operations in April and brought on a new chief retail officer in late 2024. In May, SpartanNash hired an executive to fill the newly created role of vice president of marketing for the company's retail banners.
SpartanNash also added dozens of grocery and convenience stores to its portfolio last year through the purchases of Markham Enterprises, Fresh Encounter and Metcalfe's Market.
Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
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