McLane Creates First COO Role, Promotes Chris Smith

McLane Company has promoted Chris Smith to executive vice president and chief operating officer — the first person to hold that title in the company's history, according to a Thursday press release. Smith previously served as president of McLane Retail, a company spokesperson confirmed.

The move puts one executive over operations spanning three business units: retail, restaurant and Empire Distributors, plus corporate functions and subsidiaries. McLane says Smith's job is to optimize how those pieces share resources and support the company's growth strategy.

That's a big portfolio for a distributor of McLane's scale. McLane is a major distributor to convenience stores, and the new role signals the company wants tighter coordination across grocery supply, foodservice and its alcohol distribution arm.

Who is Chris Smith?

Smith joined McLane in 2021 as president of McLane Grocery, a division later renamed McLane Retail. Before that, he held senior supply chain roles at two of the country's largest wholesalers and retailers: senior vice president and chief supply chain officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance, and executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at grocery wholesaler C&S Wholesale.

He'll keep reporting to CEO Tony Frankenberger and work with the executive team on McLane's technology transformation, including investments in artificial intelligence and digital systems.

"Chris is a proven leader who understands our business, our customers and our teammates," Frankenberger said in the announcement. "His continued leadership will help McLane build on our strong foundation, advance innovation and deliver the reliable, high-quality service our customers and suppliers expect."

Notably, the release doesn't say which specific AI or digital systems will get funding first, or when. The promise of a "technology transformation" is doing a lot of work here without a price tag attached.

What Else Has McLane Been Doing?

Smith's promotion caps a busy stretch for the distributor:

• McLane held its annual trade show, McLane Engage, in late August.
• At that event, it launched McLane 360, a digital platform combining promotion ordering, delivery tracking and business insights in one place.
• Last month, the company promoted veteran Cassandra Matos to vice president of merchandising profitability.

The McLane 360 launch gives the new COO a concrete tool to point to. A platform that merges ordering, delivery tracking and analytics is exactly the kind of system a COO overseeing three business units would need to standardize operations.

Why Create a COO Role Now?

The press release doesn't explain the timing, and that gap is worth noting. Creating a first-ever COO position usually means a company has grown complex enough — or hit enough operational friction — that the CEO needs a dedicated deputy for execution.

Smith's supply chain background at Walgreens Boots Alliance and C&S Wholesale suggests McLane's priority is operational efficiency across its distribution network, not just organizational chart tidiness.

For McLane's convenience store and restaurant customers, the practical test will be whether the new structure speeds up service or simply adds a layer of management. Frankenberger's promise of "reliable, high-quality service" is the metric suppliers and customers will watch as Smith settles in.

Either way, the AI and digital investments Smith is charged with advancing will likely define whether this promotion marks a real operational shift or just a new title on an old org chart.