Associated Wholesale Grocers has appointed Kelly Kauffman as chief financial officer, adding an executive with extensive experience across retail, financial services and consumer goods. Kauffman brings expertise in financial planning and analysis, operational finance, corporate transformation and large-scale financial systems implementation. He most recently served as senior vice president of financial planning and analysis at BJ’s Wholesale Club.
In that role, Kauffman led corporate FP&A teams across multiple financial disciplines and modernized the company’s forecasting and reporting processes through the implementation of new planning systems.
Those initiatives streamlined financial planning activities and helped provide business leaders with faster access to information used in decision-making.
Before joining BJ’s Wholesale Club, Kauffman served as vice president of finance at Whole Foods Market.
He led global FP&A functions, managed annual and long-term financial planning and oversaw operational improvement initiatives.
Kauffman also played a role in developing the financial models that supported Whole Foods Market’s sale to Amazon.
His responsibilities included executive oversight of major finance system transformations involving Workday, Anaplan and Adaptive Insights.
Kauffman also built and managed cross-functional teams spanning finance and business operations.
Earlier in his career, he held corporate finance and audit positions at EZCORP, Pamida, Cabela’s, Nestlé USA and Grant Thornton.
Kauffman earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
At AWG, he will help oversee financial planning, reporting, operational finance and other functions supporting the cooperative’s continued growth.
His appointment comes as longtime AWG executive Gary Koch prepares to retire following approximately 30 years with the organization.
Associated Wholesale Grocers is the largest cooperative food wholesaler in the United States serving independently owned supermarkets.
The company supports approximately 1,100 member companies and 3,500 retail locations across 33 states.
AWG operates through nine wholesale division support centers and recorded consolidated sales of $12.2 billion in 2025.
The company also operates subsidiaries providing real estate, supermarket development and pharmaceutical services.
KEY QUOTE:
“Kelly is a proven finance leader with a strong track record of driving performance, improving processes and building high-performing teams. His experience in retail, coupled with his ability to lead transformation and strengthen financial operations, makes him an excellent fit for AWG as we continue to grow and support our members. We’re excited to welcome him to the team. We are also incredibly grateful for Gary Koch’s outstanding leadership and contributions to AWG over the past 30 years. His impact on our organization has been significant, and we look forward to celebrating his career as he prepares for retirement.”
Dan Funk, President and CEO of Associated Wholesale Grocers