Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> April 29, 2002
ROSS E. ROEDER is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Smart & Final Inc., which sells food, foodservice products and
professional-quality culinary equipment through warehouse stores,
wholesale stores and broadline foodservice distribution businesses. In
1977, Mr. Roeder became a Director of Thriftimart, a previous owner of
Smart & Final, and he since has served continuously as a director of
Thriftimart, Smart & Final and Casino USA, a holding company for the
French majority shareholder of Smart & Final. In addition, Mr. Roeder
has served as a Director of Smart & Final's subsidiary companies for
more than 21 years. During 1998, Mr. Roeder played a key role as a
consultant with Smart & Final's Florida store and foodservice
distribution operations. In January 1999, he took the helm at Smart &
Final Inc. The company operates 188 Smart & Final warehouse stores in
California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida and northern Mexico and 45 Cash &
Carry wholesale stores in the Pacific Northwest and northern California.
It also operates two foodservice distribution businesses located in
northern California and Florida. Sales for fiscal year 2001 were $1.9
billion. Mr. Roeder has earned an outstanding reputation as one of the
nation's most successful and knowledgeable executives in the retail
industry. He began his career with Baskin-Robbins, where he was
responsible for opening the chain's eastern and international
operations. He also was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer of Denny's Inc., a 900-unit national restaurant chain, which
included a foodservice distribution company and processing operations.
He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Fotomat, one of the
country's largest retail photo finishers, with more than 2,400 outlets
throughout the US. Prior to joining the management team at Smart &
Final, he served as Chairman of Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Mr. Roeder
was a recipient of the Michigan Technological University Outstanding
Alumnus Silver Medal, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of
Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. Mr. Roeder
received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Michigan
State University. He served in the United States Army as a military
intelligence officer, then completed his Master's degree in Business
Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles. Mr. Roeder
is also a member of the Board of Directors of Gulf West Banks, St.
Petersburg, Florida; Chico's, a retail chain of women's clothing stores,
Fort Meyers, Florida; and Phi Kappa Tau Foundation, Oxford, Ohio. He is
a university lecturer and a frequent speaker and panelist at
professional trade and business organization meetings. Profile
Inc., and an overview of what you are doing at the present time?
Mr. Roeder: Smart & Final is a unique
