McLane hires former Walgreens supply chain leader to oversee McLane Grocery

McLane Company, a supply chain company providing grocery and foodservice solutions, including private label products, hired a new head of its supply chain solutions for grocery.

Chris Smith joins the company from Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he was global leader of retail pharmacy. He joins Temple, Texas-based McLane as president of McLane Grocery, a $33 billion business unit.

Smith will work to deliver solutions to more than 70,000 retail locations. The company recently debuted a host of private brand items such as baby wipes, charcoal for grilling, paper towels, napkins and more. 

Smith  comes to McLane Grocery from his most recent position as a SVP and chief supply chain officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance.  He also oversaw supply chain operations at C&S Wholesale as an EVP and chief supply chain officer, and was a senior leader in distribution and logistics at Texas healthcare company McKesson Corporation. An economics graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Smith is also a board member at Phillips Pet Food & Supplies.

“We are very pleased to have Chris join our team,” said McLane’s CEO Tony Frankenberger. “He brings a wealth of supply chain and logistics leadership experience across diverse industries that will contribute to many areas of our business.”

Through McLane Grocery and McLane Foodservice, McLane Company operates over 80 distribution centers and one of the nation’s largest private fleets. The company is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.