Harps Food Stores has appointed Will McDoniel as its first director of AI strategy and innovation, a newly created position. McDoniel’s responsibilities will include finding ways the company can use AI as well as helping Harps adopt new AI capabilities more quickly and efficiently.
McDoniel joined Harps in 2014 as a part-time college student and later entered the grocer’s management training program after graduating in 2016. He has since held various management roles, including grocery category analyst and meat and seafood category manager.
With McDoniel’s appointment, Harps joins companies like Kroger and Ahold Delhaize USA that have hired AI-specific executives to help them make the most of the rapidly changing technology. As director of AI strategy and innovation, McDoniel will identify ways Harps can utilize AI to improve processes and increase efficiency.
Harps has nearly doubled its footprint to 177 locations across eight states over the past several years, with a focus on store expansion rather than technology integration. The grocer recently acquired 18 stores from independent grocer Dyer Foods, expanding into Tennessee and Kentucky.
Along with McDoniel’s promotion, Harps also announced the appointment of William Haulmark as its director of insurance. Haulmark has a long history with Harps, starting as a summer cashier and advancing to assistant grocery manager and grocery manager before being named insurance coordinator in late 2022.
