SpartanNash Promotes From Within for Newly Created Information Security Role

Food solutions company SpartanNash is tapping its own talent to enhance its security posture. The company has promoted Jean-Paul “JP” Calabio to the newly created position of VP, chief information security officer.

Calabio previously led SpartanNash’s information security team in his role as senior director, chief information security officer. Since joining SpartanNash last year, Calabio has formalized the company’s security incident response process, created a governance risk and compliance function to focus on high-risk priorities, expanded vendor risk management capabilities ensuring that vendors meet high security requirements, and built an information security governance model to provide additional oversight.

In his new role, which began June 20, Calabio is now in charge of information security strategy, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, IT security operations and incident response, and continually enhancing the company’s security posture.

“We interact with a lot of data as a food solutions company — from our products and customers to our associates’ work and contact information,” said Arif Dar, SVP and CIO. “Keeping all of this data safe is vital to the success of our winning recipe, and I am confident that in his new role, JP will continue to do just that.”

Before joining SpartanNash, Calabio was already an experienced information security professional with more than 20 years of experience. He was previously VP and chief information security officer at Alorica, and chief information security officer at SC Johnson and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. where he had similar responsibilities. Calabio graduated with a B.S. in business from Mount Mercy University, in Iowa. He currently lives with his wife and family in Grand Rapids, Mich.

In addition to strengthening its information security group, SpartanNash also recently bolstered its food distribution leadership team. The company added Greg Crane as VP, finance – food distribution. Crane’s role includes leadership over budgeting, forecasting, monthly results analysis, and risk and opportunity assessment activities for the food distribution business. He will also provide thought leadership and financial guidance on both broad strategic initiatives and day-to-day opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce the company’s operating expenses.

SpartanNash’s core businesses include distributing grocery products to independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges, as well as fresh produce distribution and fresh food processing. No. 41 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Djibouti, Korea and Japan. SpartanNash also operates more than 140 supermarkets and employs 17,500 associates.