Ontario, Calif. — Heritage Grocers Group, the largest Hispanic and ethnic food retailer in the country, has appointed Frank Ingraffia to the role of chief transformation officer (CTO).
Ingraffia, CEO of Tony’s Fresh Market chain, takes on the Heritage CTO role in addition to his current duties and will work amongst the company’s offices in Chicago; Ontario, Calif.; and Dallas. He will report directly to Heritage Grocers Group’s chairman and CEO, Suzy Monford.
As chief transformation officer, Ingraffia will lead Heritage’s transformation office which was created last December as the company embarked on innovation initiatives including e-commerce, retail media, price and promotion optimization and inventory/supply chain improvement.
“Frank is a focused and results-driven leader who will bring strategic management to this key role,” Monford says. “His leadership will be instrumental in achieving both short and long term goals, and I am confident that he will bring the speed, agility and strategic vision to further Heritage’s competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
Frank, the son of Tony Ingraffia, the original founder of Tony’s Fresh Market, grew up immersed in the grocery business, learning every aspect of it from the ground up. His extensive career in the food industry began as a bagger in 2003, and he eventually worked in every department at the store level. He subsequently progressed through various corporate roles within the company, including category manager, real estate director, legal counsel and vice president of corporate operations. Ultimately, he ascended to the position of chief executive officer for Tony’s Fresh Markets as its founders transitioned away from active management.
Headquartered in Ontario, Calif., Heritage Grocers Group operates in six states: California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Kansas and Illinois, with a total of 57 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner, 29 stores under the El Rancho Supermercado banner, 21 stores under Tony’s Fresh Market banner, and seven stores under the Los Altos Ranch Market banner.
SOURCE: Heritage Grocers Group