SANTA BARBARA Gelson’s Markets has strengthened its Board of Directors with the addition of Sue Klug, an accomplished former grocery executive with broad operations and marketing experience, the grocery chain announced Thursday.
Klug currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for Republic Services, a $10 billion U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal company based in Phoenix. Prior to her appointment to this position in 2016, Klug spent more than 30 years in leadership positions with some of the nation’s largest supermarket retailers.
Klug served as Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer of Unified Grocers, from 2012 to 2016. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade with Albertsons, including five years as president of Albertsons Southern California Division, where she was responsible for the operations and financial performance of all 248 Albertsons stores in California and Nevada. Earlier in her career, Klug was a senior executive role for Safeway, overseeing sales and marketing for all 330 Vons and Pavilions stores in Southern California and Southern Nevada.
“A Southern California native, Klug brings a deep understanding of the competitive California grocery sector to Gelson’s,” said Gelson’s Markets in a press release.
Klug has extensive relationships throughout the grocery industry and is widely recognized as one of its premiere female leaders. She has been recognized with numerous industry honors, including Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Industry, Food Industry Manager’s Sales Club’s Top Woman in Industry, and Shelby Report of the West’s Woman Executive of the Year.
“We are thrilled to have Sue Klug join our Board of Directors,” stated Rob McDougall, CEO, of Gelson’s. “Her savvy marketing and operations experience in wholesale grocery, supermarket retailing and waste/recycling services will bring valuable insight to Gelson’s, and we are grateful to have her onboard.”
