Breez AI Corp., a white-label artificial intelligence platform powering personalized grocery experiences for regional and independent retailers, has appointed David Smith, former president and CEO of Associated Wholesale Grocers, as chairman of its board of directors.
The appointment comes as Breez AI has moved from pilot into commercial scale, with the company’s consumer-facing assistant now live at more than 100 AWG member stores and rolling out to Harps Food Stores and other independents in the coming months.
Smith brings nearly five decades of leadership across grocery retail and wholesale distribution, including more than eight years at the helm of AWG, the largest retailer-owned grocery cooperative in the United States.
During his tenure, AWG grew from about 1,200 stores and $3.2 billion in wholesale sales to serving more than 3,400 retail locations across 31 states. Wholesale sales exceeded $12 billion and member retail sales topped $24 billion.
Smith was inducted into Shelby Publishing’s Food Industry Hall of Fame in 2023.
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Smith sees a pivotal moment for independents
Smith said the technology shift facing independent grocers is the most consequential of his career.
“AI is going to redefine how shoppers plan meals, build baskets and choose where to shop,” Smith said.
“What drew me to Breez AI is that it puts that capability in the hands of the independent retailer, branded as theirs, while keeping the data and loyalty relationship where they belong. That is exactly the kind of infrastructure independents need to compete, and I want to help build it.”
Tal Zlotnitsky, founder and CEO of Breez AI, said Smith’s appointment reflects the trajectory of the company and the trust he has built across the industry.
“David has operated at every level of this industry and earned the trust of thousands of independent operators over a career most of us can only aspire to,” Zlotnitsky said. “Having him as chairman is a signal to the market, to our customers and to our team about where we are headed.
“He has been investing his time and counsel in Breez AI for some time, and formalizing his leadership role reflects how serious this moment is for the company.”
Harps Food Stores joins the platform
Smith’s appointment caps a period of momentum for the company.
Harps Food Stores, a 160-store employee-owned chain based in Springdale, Arkansas, selected Breez AI in March. The platform will be branded as Harps across its entire footprint.
“David understands what independents need better than almost anyone, and I agree with him that this moment is different,” said Harps Chairman and CEO Kim Eskew.
“As independents, we need to do a better job of attracting younger shoppers and helping all shoppers save time, meet family dietary goals and save money. We believe Breez AI will help Harps achieve these goals by delivering a highly personalized experience under our own brand, connected to our loyalty program and our shelves. We’re thrilled to work closely with David and the Breez AI team to make that happen.”
What’s next
As chairman, Smith will work with the executive team on strategic growth, industry relationships and governance as Breez AI scales.
The company’s retail media network product, GroceryAIsle, extends the platform into monetization, allowing independent grocers to capture retail media revenue that historically has flowed to the largest chains.
Breez AI Version 2.0, scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2026, will expand the platform beyond meal planning into a broader generative AI assistant that helps shoppers throughout the grocery journey.
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