Kroger CMO Stuart Aitken to Step Down

AAPA Welcomes New Board Leadership for 2024-2025 

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) announces elected Board of Directors and officers who will serve for the 2024-2025 term. These port leaders, representing a diverse range of expertise and regions, are poised to guide AAPA’s efforts to advance the maritime and port industries. The newly elected officials include:  

• Chair of the Board: Chett Chiasson, executive director, Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC): Chiasson has 17 years of experience at GLPC, where he oversees Port Fourchon and advocates for coastal protection and energy security.
• Vice-chair of the Board: Richard Hendrick, chief executive officer, Albany Port District Commission: Hendrick has led the Port of Albany since 2008, driving record growth and infrastructure investment.
• Stephen Edwards, CEO, Port of Virginia: Edwards brings global maritime expertise, focusing on strategic growth and operational excellence.
• Kristine Zortman, executive director, Port of Redwood City: Zortman is known for her strategic vision and sustainability initiatives in California’s Bay Area.
• Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority: Stevenson has played a pivotal role in the growth of Canada’s third-largest port.
• Steve Ribuffo, director, Port of Alaska: Ribuffo, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, brings a wealth of logistics and operational expertise.

Saddle Creek Adds Senior Business Development Director

Saddle Creek Logistics Services announces addition of Lon Smolensky as senior business development director. Based in Atlanta, Smolensky will be responsible for driving business growth, developing strategic partnerships, and enhancing customer relationships.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Smolensky brings a wealth of retail and commercial knowledge to the role. He most recently served as director of business development with DHL Supply Chain. Previously, he held various sales management positions with DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding.

Kroger CMO Stuart Aitken to Step Down

The Kroger Co. announces that Stuart Aitken is stepping down as senior vice president, chief merchandising and marketing officer, to pursue other professional opportunities. Aitken will remain in his role at Kroger through December 31, 2024.

Mary Ellen Adcock, Kroger's senior vice president of operations, will succeed him as chief merchandising and marketing officer. Adcock served as Kroger's senior vice president of operations since 2019. In this role, she leads strategic operations for the company's more than 2,700 stores across 35 states supporting more than 416,000 associates and serving 11 million customers every day. Adcock oversees customer experience, associate experience, asset protection, process change and productivity improvement initiatives and is responsible for maintaining the highest food safety and regulatory standards.

Seagull Software Appoints Jeffrey Hart as Chief Executive Officer

Seagull Software announces the hiring of Jeffrey Hart as the new CEO. The announcement follows Seagull’s acquisition of Mojix Software in October.

Mr. Hart previously served as president and CEO at VitalEdge Technologies. Prior to VitalEdge, Mr. Hart served as president at Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, a fleet leasing, rental, sales and service company. Prior to Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, he held leadership positions at OneCommand, Advantage IQ and Cadence Network.

Graycor Promotes New Chief Executive Officer

Graycor Co-Chairs Matthew Gray and Steven Gray announces that Dave Wing has been promoted to CEO from President and COO of the Graycor family of companies. Mr. Wing joined Graycor as a project engineer in 1991 and has been promoted several times throughout the past 33 years, helping to grow the company through safety leadership, client engagement, and performance excellence. With his leadership, and a strong organization alongside him, Graycor has experienced profitable growth as the company journeys toward $1 billion in annual revenue.