Fairway Market Names Jack Murphy CEO

Fairway Group Holdings Corp. has hired Jack Murphy to be the New York-based company’s CEO. No stranger to specialty food retailing, Murphy was co-founder and COO of natural food grocer Fresh Fields Inc., which was later sold to Whole Foods Market. His most recent position was CEO of Fletcher, N.C.-based Earth Fare Inc.

"We believe that Jack brings very strong leadership to Fairway, and possesses highly relevant marketing and merchandising skills that are complementary to our organization," noted Fairway Market Chairman Charles Santoro. "Jack has developed and implemented business strategies for unique and highly differentiated brands, and brings great enthusiasm, perspective and leadership to the company."

Interim CEO Departs

"Fairway Market is a true industry leader in innovative and exciting foods of all types," said Murphy, whose background also includes being operating partner at McCown Deleeuw & Co., a Foster City, Calif.-based private equity firm, and VP of operations at Massachusetts-based Purity Supreme Supermarkets.

Bill Sanford, who became interim CEO in February while the company began searching for an executive to take the helm on a permanent basis, has decided to leave Fairway to pursue other interests. Sanford joined the company in 2008 as chief administrative officer, and then became CFO and president before his stint as interim CEO.

Fairway operates 17 stores in the New York metropolitan area.