Supermarket industry veteran Sue Klug has joined the board of directors at Gelson’s Markets.
Gelson’s said Klug brings extensive operations and marketing experience to the Southern California grocery chain, including more than 30 years in leadership posts at some of the nation’s largest supermarket retail and distribution companies.
She currently serves as executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Republic Services, a $10 billion, Phoenix-based recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal firm.
Before joining Republic, Klug (left) was executive vice president and chief marketing officer from 2012 to 2016 at distributor Unified Grocers Inc. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade at Albertsons, including five years as president of Albertsons’ Southern California division, where she was responsible for the operations and financial performance of the retailer’s 248 stores in California and Nevada.
Earlier in her career, Klug was a senior vice president of sales and marketing for Safeway Inc.’s Vons Grocery Co. unit, overseeing sales and marketing for 330 Vons and Pavilions stores in Southern California and southern Nevada. She also has 10 years of experience at Catalina Marketing, most recently as chief development officer.
Gelson’s noted that Klug, a Southern California native, also brings a deep understanding of the competitive California grocery market. In addition, she is widely recognized as one of the grocery industry’s top women executives. Her previous industry board experience includes the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) in Chicago and the Western Association of Food Chains in L.A. County, where she served as its first female president and chairwoman.
"We are thrilled to have Sue Klug join our board of directors," Gelson’s CEO Rob McDougall said in a statement. "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."
Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s operates 27 full-service specialty supermarkets in Southern California, primarily in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
