Dive Brief:
- Heritage Grocers Group announced Wednesday a slew of C-suite appointments, including a new chief people officer, chief logistics officer, chief experience officer, chief merchandising officer and chief information officer.
- The Hispanic grocer also named two new division presidents to oversee banners like Cardenas Markets and El Rancho Supermercado.
- Heritage said in a press release that these executive changes reflect the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its operating model and meet the “unique needs” of each of its four banners.
Dive Insight:
Heritage’s executive changes are a mix of external hirings — almost all of which bring Hispanic grocery leadership experience to their new roles — and internal promotions.
The grocer welcomed four people from outside the company: Maria McDonald as chief people officer, Gil Salzar as chief information officer, Ryan Adams as division president for Cardenas Markets and Los Altos Ranch Market, and Jay Sharrock as division president for El Rancho Supermercado.
McDonald most recently served as group vice president of human resources for Chedraui USA and, prior to that, held leadership roles with McCormick & Company, Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra Foods, Leprino Foods and Foster Farms, according to her company bio.
Salazar hails from Stater Bros. Markets, where he was recently senior vice president and chief information officer. He brings more than three decades of experience to Heritage, per his company bio.
Adams was most recently president and CEO of Gelson’s Markets, a role he left in June after helming the grocery company for two years. Sharrock also brings experience from his time at Vallarta Services Inc., where he served as chief merchandising and marketing officer. In addition, he worked for El Rio Grande Latin Markets as chief operating officer, per his Heritage bio page.
Heritage’s promotions include the appointment of Adrian Castañeda as chief logistics officer, Vince Gambino as chief merchandising officer and Adam Salgado as chief experience officer.
Castañeda’s career with Heritage began back in 2008 at Cardenas Markets. During his tenure with the grocer, he has been a part of numerous acquisitions, according to his company bio. As chief logistics officer, Castañeda will lead transportation, distribution and supply chain operations for the company, per the announcement.
Gambino has worked at Heritage for his entire career. He started as a bagger and worked in every store department within Tony’s Fresh Market before advancing into leadership roles within the Heritage organization. He will now oversee the Hispanic grocer’s merchandising strategy, product assortment, sourcing, pricing and vendor partnerships, according to the press release.
Adam Salgado, who has been with Heritage since 2018, will helm Heritage’s omnichannel, marketing and customer engagement strategies as chief experience officer, the announcement stated.
“These appointments support our commitment to delivering exceptional and locally relevant experiences for our customers while fostering an environment where Team Members can continue to thrive,” Heritage Grocers CEO David Hinojosa said in a statement.
These changes come just five months after Hinojosa was named CEO of Heritage. His appointment followed an eight-month stretch where Heritage was without a CEO after Suzy Monford stepped down in July 2025. In an interview earlier this year, Hinojosa said he wants the Hispanic grocery company to get better at the fundamentals while also ramping up omnichannel capabilities and private brands.
Heritage executive leadership appointments
- Maria McDonald — Chief People Officer
- Gil Salazar — Chief Information Officer
- Adrian Castañeda — Chief Logistics Officer
- Vince Gambino — Chief Merchandising Officer
- Adam Salgado — Chief Experience Officer
- Ryan Adams — Division President, Cardenas Markets and Los Altos Ranch Market
- Jay Sharrock — Division President, El Rancho Supermercado
