SpartanNash Names Ileana McAlary EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

Food solutions company SpartanNash has promoted Ileana McAlary from SVP to EVP, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. McAlary, who joined SpartanNash in November 2021, oversees the company’s growing legal, government affairs, compliance and aviation team. She’s also corporate secretary of the SpartanNash board of directors and president of the SpartanNash Foundation.  

“Ileana and her team have played a crucial role in modernizing our corporate legal function as we champion customer-focused innovation and prepare for growth,” said SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam. “She is a People First leader who advocates courageously for our associates, customers and communities every day. I am proud to recognize her talents and passion for service with this well-deserved promotion.”

Along with her role at SpartanNash, McAlary sits on the board of trustees for Davenport University. She joined SpartanNash from footware manufacturing company Wolverine Worldwide Inc., where her last role was VP, associate general counsel and compliance officer. Before Wolverine Worldwide, McAlary held roles as senior counsel at Meijer Inc.; corporate counsel III at Amway Corp. and an attorney at the Miller Johnson law firm. She earned her undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

SpartanNash’s core businesses include distributing grocery products to independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges, as well as fresh produce distribution and fresh food processing. No. 41 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Djibouti, Korea and Japan. SpartanNash also operates 147 supermarkets and employs 17,500-plus associates. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer, which operates more than 400 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, is No. 20 on PG’s list.