Stater Bros. names COO as next CEO
A regional Southern California grocer has announced an impending CEO transition.
Stater Bros. Markets’ current president and chief operating officer Greg McNiff has been appointed to the role of chief executive and president, while current CEO and chairman of the board Pete Van Helden will remain with the company in the role of executive chairman of the board. Both appointments will be effective on Sept. 29. All functional areas of the company will report to McNiff.
McNiff is a 44-year veteran of the supermarket industry who has spent 33 years of his grocery career in Southern California. He began in 1981 as a courtesy clerk at Albertsons, and served in a variety of leadership roles encompassing a wide range of responsibilities during his tenure, including integration, marketing and merchandising. His most recent roles at Albertsons included president of the Portland Division and senior VP of marketing & merchandising.
In 2019, McNiff joined Stater Bros. as its president and was promoted to COO in 2022. As COO, McNiff has led the company’s marketing, retail and distribution functions.
Van Helden joined Stater Bros. Markets as president and COO in 2013. In 2016, he was appointed to the position of CEO by Stater Bros.’ late executive chairman Jack H. Brown. Van Helden was elevated to chairman of the board in 2022. He will continue as CEO of Stater Bros. Charities, the company’s philanthropic arm.
“I’ve worked with Greg for many years, and due to his industry knowledge and fit in Stater Bros.’s culture, I can’t think of a better leader for the company’s day-to-day operations into the future,” said Van Helden. “While I’ll be stepping back from the company’s everyday operations, I’ll maintain an active role in the company as executive chairman while Greg continues to build on the strong foundation that we helped establish together.”
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Based in San Bernardino, Calif., State Bros. Markets operates nearly 170 stores in the region and employs approximately 18,000 workers.
