Gus Lebiak will become president and chief operating officer of Krasdale Foods Inc. effective January 1, 2021, replacing current president Steve Silver, who is retiring.
Since joining the 112-year-old, family-owned business which provides essential services to supermarket operators, including grocery distribution, merchandising, marketing and financing, eight years ago, Lebiak has assumed greater leadership roles within the company. Last year, he was promoted to chief operating officer of Alpha 1 Marketing, an affiliate of Krasdale. Following his retirement, Silver will continue to serve in an advisory capacity and will also remain on the board of directors where he’ll contribute to the ongoing growth of the company.
“We’re grateful to Steve Silver for his tremendous leadership and the significant role he has played in growing and diversifying Krasdale Foods,” said Krasdale CEO and chairman of the board, Charles A. Krasne. “Looking forward, I am confident that Gus will be a strong leader, providing continuity and deep insights that will result in further growth of our business. His promotion is a natural progression of his career and is well earned. I look forward to working closely with him.”
“I also look forward to continuing to work closely with Gus,” said Thatcher Krasne, president of Alpha 1 Marketing. “Gus is well integrated into the Krasdale family and will continue our tradition of excellent customer service. I expect the transition to be very smooth.”
As COO of Alpha 1 Marketing, Lebiak currently oversees key departments such as advertising, digital services, customer service, community relations, retail operations, marketing, meat and produce, and merchandising, as well as retail regulatory compliance and training.
“Since coming on-board at Krasdale, Gus has worked closely alongside me to create a culture of collaboration among employees resulting in our best-in-class management team,” Silver said. “Most recently, when our industry faced unprecedented challenges, Gus played a big part in helping Krasdale help its customers to get through the pandemic on solid footing. I have complete confidence in his ability and leadership.”
With more 40 years of grocery industry experience and an educational background which includes an MBA in corporate finance, Lebiak has a diverse skillset that has made him indispensable within many areas of the business. He began his career working in-store at Mayfair Supermarkets before moving to the wholesale side of the business as a category manager at Twin County Grocers. From there, Lebiak assisted in the launch of Allegiance Retail Services, a supermarket cooperative, serving as director of grocery and then vice president of center store, before leaving to join Krasdale Foods as a vice president.
“I feel so honored to lead this team, building on the vision and values of Steve Silver and the Krasne family,” Lebiak said. “Throughout my four decades in this industry, I have never worked with a more dedicated or talented team. The management team at Krasdale is top notch. I look forward to working closely with Charles and Thatcher Krasne along with senior management and our valued employees to innovate and to continue consistent, long-term growth across all areas of the business.”