Dive Brief:

• SpartanNash has named three new independent board directors after completing a “comprehensive board refreshment process,” according to a press release on Monday.
• The new directors are Julien Mininberg, CEO of consumer products company Helen of Troy Limited; Jaymin Patel, president and chief financial officer of special-purpose acquisition company Clarim Acquisition Corp.; and Pamela Puryear, who most recently served as global chief human resources officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance.
• With the new appointments, SpartanNash now has eight independent board directors, five of whom have been appointed in the past four years.

Dive Insight:

SpartanNash’s latest board appointment helps the oversight group address the unique challenges the company faces in retail and distribution today, according to Monday's announcement. 

“Since last summer, our Board has undertaken a deliberate and thorough refreshment process, with the assistance of a leading executive search firm, to ensure the Board continues to have the right combination of skills, experience and diversity to oversee value creation for shareholders,” said SpartanNash Board of Directors Chairman Douglas Hacker, in a statement.

Mininberg has spent 30 years building multinational brands and organizations. In addition to his position at Helen of Troy Limited, which develops, markets and distributes consumer products, he spent 15 years in management for Procter & Gamble and is currently on the board of advisors for Yale School of Management.

Patel brings expertise in technology and supply chain management to SpartanNash’s board. Along with his role at Clarim Acquisition Corp, he is the executive chairman of Cloud Agronomics, a soil carbon measurement platform that informs carbon credit offset markets. In the past, Patel has served in executive roles for various technology companies. He is currently an independent director at Bally’s Corporation and a director at Clarim.

Puryear, meanwhile, has served in human resources management roles for leading healthcare firms. In addition to her top HR position at Walgreens Boost Alliance, she was senior vice president and chief talent officer at Pfizer. Earlier in her career, Puryear served as vice president of organizational development and chief talent officer at pharmaceutical firm Hospira, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was recently honored as one of the 2021 “Elite 100” by Diversity Woman Magazine and currently serves as an independent director of NextGen Healthcare, Standard Motor Products and Rockley Photonics Holdings.

As part of the board refresh, current members Frank Gambino, Yvonne Jackson and Elizabeth Nickels will not be seeking reelection at the company’s annual meeting, which will take place at a yet-to-be-named date.

SpartanNash, which now refers to itself as a “food solutions company,” is navigating supply chain shortages and struggling to keep its stores and warehouses properly staffed. It’s also in the process of streamlining its warehouse operations and offering more online services at its 145 supermarkets.