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Food Retailers Build Out Leadership Team

On Monday three retailers unveiled additions to their leadership teams: Dollar Tree named Jonathan Leiken as EVP, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary; Lipari Foods set Zachary Gordon as chief financial officer; and SpartanNash promoted Derek Tufts to VP of human resources. 

Leiken brings more than 20 years of legal experience to the role. He most recently served as EVP, chief legal officer, and secretary of Diebold Nixdorf, a technology company that provides systems, services, and software to banks and retailers. 

“Jon is a seasoned attorney and business leader with proven expertise across a number of industries, including the retail and financial sectors,"  said Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO of Dollar Tree, in a statement. "His credentials ranging from corporate governance and law to regulatory compliance and commercial litigation make him uniquely suited for this role.” 

Gordon comes to Lipari Foods after serving as EVP and chief financial officer at Joyson Safety Systems, a manufacturing company. He brings to the company experience in operational finance, financial planning and analysis, and mergers and acquisitions. 

“Zac is a proven finance executive and is a great addition to our leadership team,” said CEO Tom Lipari in a statement. “With his strong strategic acumen, broad skill set and shared understanding of our commitment to our customers, he is poised to play an essential role in steering our financial direction and contributing to our continued growth and success.” 

He will play a pivotal role in navigating the strategic direction focused on company growth, according to Lipari Foods. 

Tufts was first hired to SpartanNash in 2019 as director of human resources for the retail segment. In 2022, he was promoted to senior director of human resources for both corporate and retail. In his current role, he will coach senior leadership and develop HR business partners. He will also drive employee retention and work to reduce turnover. 

"Derek has played a vital leadership role in ensuring the HR strategy and practices align to our People First culture, and we're proud to promote from within to extend his expertise to positively impact our associate experience across the company," said SpartanNash SVP and chief human resources officer Nicole Zube in a statement. 

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