Smart & Final has promoted Scott Drew to Chief Operating Officer (COO). He has been a part of the Smart & Final team since 2010, during which he has led store operations, real estate, construction and maintenance, supply chain, and sales and merchandising.
As COO, Drew will continue to report to Dave Hirz, president and CEO.
“Scott is a seasoned industry executive with proven leadership skills, which have benefited Smart & Final for the past 10 years,” said Dave Hirz, president and CEO of Smart & Final. “Scott’s management style is all about coaching his team and being a servant leader. One of his biggest focus areas is the development of high potential leaders in order to build our bench and ensure Smart & Final’s continued success.”
A seasoned industry executive with more than 40 years in grocery, Drew began his career in 1977 as a store-level courtesy clerk. He has been the EVP of operations at Smart & Final since 2015.
Prior to joining Smart & Final team, he served as VP of store operations for The Kroger Co. in Indianapolis, where he managed more than 150 stores in five states.
Drew serves on the board of several charities, including the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation, the Western Association of Food Chains and Olive Crest, and he is also president of the Food Industry Circle for City of Hope. In 2019, he was named the executive-in-residence for the USC Marshall Food Industry Executive Program.
Drew’s hobbies include golf, sports and spending time outdoors with his wife, Kelly, and their three children.
Smart & Final is headquartered near Los Angeles in Commerce, California, and has 255 store locations.
Smart & Final will be opening a new Extra! store in Turlock, California, on June 24. See story here.
