- Ron Marshall, CEO of Nash Finch announced last week that he will resign from the company, effective March 6, 2006.
- Select Retail Holdings, the new owner of Superquinn, named Tom Nolan, a senior executive with Tesco Ireland, as the company’s buying director, succeeding Damien Carolan, who retired after the sale of the company after almost four decades working for Superquinn.
In addition, Ruurd Jellema, a Dutch executive with Foot Locker, has been hired to run the company’s distribution center in Blanchardstown, succeeding Declan Carolan, who also is leaving the company.
And, the company named Robert Hutchinson, formerly of Diageo Ireland, to be the company’s human resources director, a new position.
- Wal-Mart announced that Stephen Quinn, CMO at Frito-Lay, will join it as senor vice president of marketing. Analysts said that the choice of Quinn demonstrates that Wal-Mart, as it attempts to expand into new markets and new areas of expertise, is looking for a classically trained marketer as opposed to home-grown talent that might not be able to help in the company’s growth efforts.
- Chuck Fruit, CMO at Coca-Cola reportedly will become a senior advisor to the company on media, sports and entertainment marketing and sponsorships. AdWeek reports that once Fruit gives up the CMO title, it will no longer be used, with those responsibilities falling to Mary Minnick, Coke’s director of marketing, innovation and strategic growth since March 2005.
- ConAgra Foods named Gary Rodkin, most recently chairman/CEO of PepsiCo Beverages, to succeed Bruce Rohde as its new chairman/CEO.
- Ad Age reports that Mary Dillon, Quaker Foods’ president, has resigned and is expected to join McDonald’s Corp. as CMO, succeeding Larry Light.
