C&S EVP & Chief Procurement Officer Retires
C&S Wholesale Grocers LLC has revealed the retirement of its EVP and chief procurement officer, Michael Papaleo, on Oct. 4. The industry veteran will continue to provide C&S with his expertise as a strategic advisor through the coming year.
Papaleo joined C&S in 1997 and has held several leadership roles over that time. His responsibilities have included providing quality service to C&S’s retail customers, inventory management, trade relations, margin performance, merchandising and marketing, and the ISQL operation. Before C&S, Papaleo was with Edison, N.J.-based Twin County Grocers for more than 14 years, working in the areas of merchandising and procurement. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Rutgers University.
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“What distinguishes C&S as an industry leader is our people,” noted C&S CEO Eric Winn. “We have always had hardworking people that lead with a customer-first focus. No one embodies that dedication more than Michael Papaleo. Michael has helped lead C&S through many market changes and has been a very respected leader both within the company, as well as in the overall grocery industry. We have been truly fortunate for his leadership and wish him the very best in his retirement.”
Mark McGowan, EVP, retail and chief merchandising officer, will lead C&S’ merchandising organization, while Andrew Connell, CVP, procurement, will take responsibility for all procurement, demand planning and inbound planning.
Keene, N.H.-based C&S is the largest grocery wholesale distributor in the United States, and the eighth-largest privately owned company. It services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with over 100,000 different products. C&S also operates and supports corporate grocery stores and services independent franchisees under a chain-style model throughout the Midwest, South and Northeast. The company is No. 18 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
