McLane Company has promoted Farley Kaiser to Vice President of Retail Foodservice, where she will lead the strategy, growth, and execution of the distributor's retail foodservice and private brand programs. A company spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement to C-Store Dive.

According to the spokesperson, Kaiser now oversees the company's McLane Fresh foodservice platform, including CupZa! beverages, Central Eats grab-and-go meals, and the Prendisimo pizza brand, as well as McLane's Innovation Kitchen. She will help customers develop scalable foodservice programs, advance product and menu innovation, lead strategic growth initiatives, and coordinate culinary innovation, commercial strategy, and operational execution.

Kaiser succeeds Jon Cox, who was the first person to hold the role at McLane three years ago, and the spokesperson said Cox will leave the company this week.

"This role represents a journey from the kitchen to the boardroom—spanning culinary education, restaurant operations, foodservice innovation, category leadership, and commercial strategy," Kaiser said in a LinkedIn announcement last Thursday. "Along the way, I have had the privilege of working with great organizations, talented teams, and mentors who have inspired me to think bigger, lead better, and never stop learning."

mclane, farley kaiser
McLane Company has promoted Farley Kaiser to Vice President of Retail Foodservice.
Image courtesy of McLane
 

According to Kaiser's LinkedIn profile, she spent the past three years as Senior Director of Culinary Innovation at McLane. In that role, she led corporate culinary and innovation strategy, supporting McLane's national convenience store customers. She also developed and launched proprietary foodservice programs, establishing kitchen processes, training systems, and commercialization frameworks.

Before joining McLane in 2023, Kaiser worked at GetGo Café + Market for nearly two years, serving as Director of Culinary and Innovation and Senior Director of Fresh Food and Beverage. Prior to GetGo, Kaiser spent more than four years at Wawa, where she served as the convenience store chain's corporate executive chef.

Kaiser's promotion comes just over a month before McLane Engage, the company's annual trade show focused on showcasing new convenience store products and merchandising solutions.

"The foodservice industry is evolving rapidly, and the opportunities for innovation, growth, and value creation have never been greater," Kaiser said in the announcement. "I look forward to working with the great team at McLane to continue building scalable solutions, strengthening customer partnerships, and shaping the future of retail foodservice."