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To further support growth and help build on its corporate culture, Orgill has hired Laura Freeman to fill the newly created position of executive vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer.
Freeman will officially join Orgill Jan. 3 and has spent the last several years in a similar executive position with Schnucks, a $3.2 billion St. Louis-based grocery chain operating 120 stores in multiple states.
In addition to her most recent role at Schnucks, Freeman brings more than 35 years of experience in HR, talent management and organizational development to Orgill. She has worked with several Fortune 500 companies and domestic and international organizations in the manufacturing, restaurant, hotel and service-based industries. Her expertise includes developing and implementing HR strategies that support business plans and operational objectives. As a key leader on Orgill’s EVP team, Freeman will lead the company’s human resources teams across Orgill, Tyndale Advisors and Central Network Retail Group (CNRG).
“We are thrilled to have Laura join our EVP team and bring her years of experience to Orgill,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and CEO. “She will add a new dimension to our team. Her knowledge, insight and empathy make her an ideal fit for this new role.”
Freeman says she is excited for the opportunities and challenges her new position will present.
“Orgill is a venerable institution with deep roots in the community and a great reputation for recruiting, developing and maintaining a top-notch team,” she says. “I am looking forward to helping them in their efforts and lending my insights into building an even stronger organization.”
More Employee Movement
In other employee news, Orgill announced the promotion of Chris Freader to the role of senior vice president of retail services. Freader most recently served as vice president of retail services and has been an instrumental part of Orgill’s growth and brings a breadth of experience to his position.
“Chris is not just a leader in his department and in the company, but Chris is well known and respected throughout the industry. In the three years he has been working with retail services, he has driven numerous process improvements while simultaneously taking the customer experience to new heights,” says John Sieggreen, Orgill executive vice president of retail.
Along with Freader’s promotion, Orgill announced the promotion of several other individuals, including: Geoff McCaslin as director, replenishment; Andrew Yount to director, vendor support; Jim Rivas is promoted to director, retail technology; and Peter Kim to director, cybersecurity.
“We are so lucky to have these talented individuals contributing to our leadership team,” Moore says. “I am very proud of the strength of this team and am confident in our ability to continue driving success at Orgill and for our customers.”
In addition to the promotions, Orgill is congratulating longtime employee Myron Boswell on his retirement at the end of this year. Boswell’s career with Orgill spanned 33 years and he filled a number of leadership roles throughout his time with the company, most recently serving as vice president of dealer sales, Northeast.
“Myron has helped drive sales growth at Orgill from $125 million in 1989 to over $3.7 billion during the course of his career and helped countless retail customers find greater success in their operations,” says David Mobley, Orgill executive vice president of sales. “We cannot thank him enough for his service, hard work and leadership, and we congratulate him on his retirement.”
As a result of Boswell’s retirement, there will also be some realignment within Orgill’s sales management team.
Todd Nowels will be replacing Boswell as vice president, dealer sales, Northeast, moving from management of the Southeast region. Paul Dupont, one of Orgill’s most experienced sales managers, is being promoted to vice president dealer sales, Southeast.
“Our sales team is one of our strongest competitive advantages among our competitors, and these leaders continue to do an excellent job widening that competitive advantage,” Mobley says.
