LOS ANGELES, CA - Being appointed as a Chief is a high honor and one that is not given freely. Smart & Final clearly found a worthy leader in Scott Drew as he was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the company.

A seasoned industry executive with more than 40 years in grocery, Drew began his career in 1977 as a store-level courtesy clerk. According to a press release, Drew joined the Smart & Final team in 2010 and has since led store operations, real estate, construction and maintenance, supply chain, and sales and merchandising.

He has been the Executive Vice President of Operations at Smart & Final since 2015. In his new role as COO, Drew will continue to report to Dave Hirz, President and CEO.

"Scott is a seasoned industry executive with proven leadership skills, which have benefited Smart & Final for the past 10 years,” said Hirz. “Scott’s management style is all about coaching his team and being a servant leader. One of his biggest focus areas is the development of high potential leaders in order to build our bench and ensure Smart & Final’s continued success."

Prior to joining Smart & Final's team, Drew served as Vice President of Store Operations for The Kroger Company in Indianapolis, where he managed more than 150 stores in five states.

The new Chief serves on the board of several charities, including the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation, the Western Association of Food Chains, and Olive Crest, and he is also President of the Food Industry Circle for City of Hope. In 2019, Drew was named the Executive-in-Residence for the USC Marshall Food Industry Executive Program.

Congratulations to Scott Drew on this high honor!

Smart & Final