New executive will scale the shared services model for the leading natural, organic food distributor

NEW YORK (August 28, 2018)– O’Neill Consulting (OC), the executive search firm making high impact hires, is pleased to announce the placement of Olivier Paris as vice president of shared services for United Natural Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNFI), a distributor of natural and organic foods and a Fortune 500 company.

Mr. Paris will lead the shared services transformation as UNFI continues growing significantly. The company recently acquired SuperValu for $2.9 billion to create North America’s premier food wholesaler. With expansion underway, Paris will ensure that processes can be scaled effectively across all business units while maintaining UNFI’s high standards of excellence.

Chief human resources officer at UNFI, Danielle Benedict, said, “We are pleased to have Olivier join us to help support our strategic growth. O’Neill Consulting was an instrumental partner in attracting a transformational executive like Olivier, who can help develop and implement a best practice shared services model.”

“The OC team has consistently helped us attract the best and brightest talent in the marketplace, recruiting eight key positions all the way up to the C-suite,” she added. “We look forward to continuing our partnership as our exciting growth journey continues.”

Prior to joining UNFI, Paris served as senior director of shared services centers for Sensata Technologies. Overseeing a global team of 200 employees, he significantly improved productivity and organic growth by leading business transformations, acquisition integration, and capability-building through continuous improvement strategies. He previously held IT leadership roles with CNH Global, a global leader in the capital goods sector, and GE Healthcare,the $19 billion healthcare business of GE.

The executive search was led by O’Neill Consulting Partner Doug Rosen. He worked closely alongside Benedict and the UNFI leadership team, identifying Paris as the lead candidate of a robust slate in under 90 days.

“Shared services centers offer growing companies several advantages, including bolting on acquisitions more seamlessly,” said Rosen. “Olivier’s stand-out leadership qualities and world-class experience in the shared services space will be integral in creating a sustainable model for UNFI going forward.”