Bob Mariano joins Gelson’s board
Just over a year after retiring from Milwaukee-based Roundy’s, and the banner that bears his name, Bob Mariano joined the board of directors of Gelson’s Markets.
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. purchased Roundy’s in 2015, and Mariano, who served as chairman and CEO, retired from the company in 2016. While at Roundy’s, he launched Mariano’s Fresh Market, an upscale chain in the Chicago market.
His career started in Chicago, as a part-time clerk at Chicago-based Dominick’s in 1967. He was president and CEO of Dominick’s from 1995 to 1998. After being hired as a consultant for Roundy’s, he was named CEO in 2002.
“Bob Mariano is a legend in the supermarket industry, especially in the Midwest, where he has made an indelible impact with the chain of stores that carry his name,” said Gelson’s president & CEO Rob McDougall, in a news release. “We are thrilled he has agreed to join our board of directors, bringing his vast expertise, his vision for the industry, and relationships to Gelson’s.”
Gelson’s has 25 stores in Southern California.
