Alisa Gmelich is Sprouts Farmers Market’s new chief marketing officer

Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market hired Alisa Gmelich as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, effective Dec. 5.

Gmelich will report directly to Sprouts President and Chief Operating Officer Nick Konat and will oversee marketing, advertising and customer engagement, according to a news release.

“Her experience in building brands and growing customer engagement will be instrumental in shaping Sprouts’ marketing strategy to support our expansion and deepen loyalty with our customers,” Konat said in the release.

Gmelich has more than 25 years of experience in brand development, marketing strategy and customer loyalty. Most recently, she was the chief brand officer at Auntie Anne’s. Before that role, Gmelich spent more than 15 years in the restaurant industry, where she held various positions, including vice president of marketing at IHOP, where she spearheaded its customer growth strategy, national programs and menu innovation.

Before IHOP, she led a marketing team for Burger King Corp. as director of U.S. sales and field marketing, driving local and national marketing initiatives. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and art history from the University of California, Riverside.

“I am extremely humbled to join Sprouts, a brand that I’ve long admired for innovation and purpose,” Gmelich said in the release. “Providing communities access to healthy, affordable foods is more important today than ever before, and I look forward to helping the brand connect even further with customers nationwide in meaningful ways with the products they need and desire.”

Sprouts employs about 31,000 people and operates about 380 stores in 23 states nationwide.