Emeryville, California-based Grocery Outlet has appointed Jason Potter as its president and CEO, effective Feb. 3. He also will join the company’s board of directors.
Potter succeeds Eric J. Lindberg Jr., who has served as interim president and CEO since October. Lindberg also serves as chairman of the board and will continue in that capacity after Potter joins the company.
Potter is a seasoned CEO, bringing more than 30 years of grocery retail experience and a track record of driving earnings growth and shareholder value. He joins Grocery Outlet from The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer of fresh, gourmet food and prepared meals, where he has served as CEO and a board member since March 2020.
During his tenure, Potter led the transformation of that business, driving an award-winning customer experience and strong earnings growth. Prior to this, Potter spent 26 years with Sobeys Inc., a national grocery retailer in Canada, where he oversaw a store base of more than 1,500 stores under several banners with more than $12 billion in revenue.
During his tenure with Sobeys, he served in a variety of operational and leadership roles, including EVP of operations, president of Sobeys West, president of Sobeys Atlantic and president of multi-format operations.
“I could not be more excited to join Grocery Outlet,” Potter shared.
“With a clear mission of saving people money and a unique model that combines national buying power with local independent operators for the ultimate treasure hunt shopping experience, Grocery Outlet is a differentiated concept with a tremendous growth opportunity. I understand what it takes to lead and scale this business and look forward to working with the team and our local independent operators to reach Grocery Outlet’s full potential.”
[RELATED: Grocery Outlet CEO Steps Down, Lindberg Tapped As Interim]
Lindberg will work closely with Potter over a transition period, including meeting independent operators and key suppliers and integrating him into the culture of the business.
“On behalf of the board, we are thrilled to have Jason lead Grocery Outlet’s next chapter of continued growth and success,” Lindberg said.
“In addition to his deep experience in growing and scaling successful grocery models, Jason’s vision, values and hands-on leadership style align well with our goals and culture. His passion and drive will prove to be an excellent fit here at Grocery Outlet. I am confident Jason is going to be a fantastic leader with our team and independent operators, and I welcome him warmly to the Grocery Outlet family.”
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