Schnucks Executive Transition Commences

A new era of leadership is poised to commence at Schnuck Markets Inc. come March amid the family held grocery company’s commemoration of its 75th year in business.

After nearly eight years at the helm of Schnuck Markets, Inc., Scott Schnuck, 63, chairman and CEO of the privately-held St. Louis-based grocery company, will pass the leadership reins to his brother, Todd Schnuck (left), 55, who will ascend to president and CEO.

In accordance with the company’s succession plan, Scott Schnuck will remain chairman and will assist Todd in the transition through September, while the executives’ older brother, Craig Schnuck, 65, will formally retire and become chairman emeritus.

Schnucks’ leadership transition will also position company newcomer Anthony Hucker, 47, in a more prominent management team role as a partner with Todd Schnuck, who joined his family business in 1987 as treasurer and went on to serve as corporate VP and CFO before assuming his most recent president/COO role.

Hucker, a seasoned industry veteran who joined the regional supermarket organization in September 2013 as EVP and chief strategy officer, will ascend to EVP and COO. Prior to joining Schnucks – which operates 100 stores and 95 in-store pharmacies in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa – Hucker was president of Ahold’s Landover, Md.-based Giant Food division. He also previously served as a member of Ahold USA’s executive board, and prior to that, served in a variety of leadership positions at both Wal-Mart and Aldi, where he spent seven and 10 years, respectively.

Noting that he and his wife, Julie, and extended family have been preparing for the transition for more than a year, Scott Schnuck said he and Todd “have worked very closely together over the years. I have the greatest confidence in his ability to lead our company to even greater success by working through our teammates to provide our customers with the best values and the highest quality goods and services.”

Following the leadership changes in March, Scott Schnuck (left) will continue to provide direction for the company’s 75th anniversary year and will represent Schnucks in the community as chair of the 2014 United Way Campaign of Greater St. Louis, among other roles.

This is not the first intergenerational transfer at the well-respected grocery company. In 1967, Edward Schnuck transitioned leadership to his brother, Donald, whose third-generation family members, including Don’s six children, Craig, Scott, Todd, Terry, Mark and Nancy, and Ed’s daughter, Stephanie, have maintained the tradition of prudent, strategic succession, which also includes Craig Schnuck’s transitioning the CEO reins in 2006 after 17 years to Scott Schnuck.

See related PG Aisle Chatter blog post by Meg Major here.