Last August I announced the news that our board of directors and I had begun to create a succession plan that would provide for a strong managerial foundation at MacPherson’s long beyond Stu Beattie’s and my retirements. Back then I shared that while I am in no hurry to slow down, it would be prudent to establish a roadmap for my gradual replacement. Stu’s departure in October of 2014 provided a unique opportunity to fill crucial aspects of his role with someone who has new and valuable talents and skills. We began a search late last year for a person who could fit this mostly financial and operational responsibility, and had the potential to ultimately fill a broader role within the organization.
Our goal is that this important hire will bring additional strategic skills to MacPherson’s as we put key parts of our overall company restructuring plan into place.
I am pleased to announce that we have selected Rich Rusnack as MacPherson’s newest senior executive. His title will be President and he was selected from a strong field of candidates. Rich comes with impressive skills and experience, most recently with Standard Beverage Corporation, a $200m Kansas-based spirits wholesaler where he moved through the roles of CFO, COO, and most recently served as President. Previously, he was with the Leslie Rudd Investment Company where he managed the company’s national real estate portfolio, as well as two of its operating companies, Oakville Grocery and Dean & Deluca, West. After he works his way through an extensive company orientation that will include visiting with our far flung team and spending time at our distribution centers, Rich’s key responsibilities will begin with the areas of Finance, Accounting and IT.
Due to a previous commitment Rich will not be attending NAMTA in Denver with our team next month, but there will be lots of opportunities to get to know him at future events.
Sincerely,
Frank Stapleton, CEO