Dive Brief:
- Sprouts Farmers Market announced on Thursday two key C-suite executive changes, naming Amanda Rassi as its first chief customer officer and Don Clark as chief merchandising officer.
- Rassi is stepping into the newly created role at the company, while Clark’s appointment follows the retirement of Scott Neal, the specialty grocer’s current chief merchandising officer.
- Sprouts made these executive announcements shortly before it reported disappointing full-year sales results.
Dive Insight:
The creation of the chief customer officer position comes as price-conscious and less-engaged shoppers have held back Sprouts’ financial performance.
Rassi brings over 20 years of experience in CPG and retail marketing to Sprouts. She most recently worked as senior vice president and chief marketing officer at The Michaels Company, and also worked for Kroger for more than five years. She was first vice president of analytics for Kroger’s data firm 84.51° before holding two executive positions for The Kroger Company — head of brand marketing and then vice president, head of marketing, according to her LinkedIn profile.
As Sprouts’ chief customer officer, Rassi will oversee the company’s marketing, external communications, personalization and loyalty, e-commerce, and consumer insights functions, according to the press release.
“Mandy’s extensive experience in leading strategy and growth through the customer — building insight capability, leading customer strategy and personalization and loyalty, and driving growth with target customers — will strengthen how Sprouts understands and grows our health enthusiast customer across all channels,” Sprouts President and Chief Operating Officer Nick Konat said in a statement.
Clark brings more than 25 years of experience in CPG and retail merchandising to Sprouts, including time as Giant Eagle’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer and as Whole Foods Market’s senior vice president of merchandising, per the press release.
Clark will head Sprouts’ perishable, non-perishable and merchandise operations functions, according to the announcement.
Neal, Clark’s predecessor, has been with Sprouts for nearly six years as the company’s chief merchandising officer, per his LinkedIn profile.
Both Rassi and Clark will report to Konat.
