Specialty food distributor Baldor Specialty Foods is naming a new president: David McInerney, former CEO and co-founder of FreshDirect.

McInerney has over 30 years of experience in food retailing, operations and supply chain innovation. TJ Murphy will continue as CEO, focusing on future initiatives with McInerney.

“Dave and I have known each other for years, and I couldn’t be happier for him to join Baldor,” said Murphy. “We both love great food, and we have a shared view of what quality means in sourcing and service. Our strengths complement each other—while I love long-term innovation, his passion and expertise is bridging the present with the next several years and ensuring executional excellence. I’ll continue looking 10 years ahead, and Dave will start from today; we’ll meet in the middle.”

“There are so many parallels between Baldor’s business and my background—the emphasis on tight relationships with growers, the focus on serving discerning customers, and the care for doing right by both sides. This feels like such a natural fit,” said McInerney. “I am honored to join this team and look forward to building on its legacy, harnessing the power of great people and good food.”

McInerney co-founded FreshDirect in 2000. He served as CEO as well as chief food adventurer, traveling across the globe to source ingredients and forge relationships with producers. Baldor hopes to leverage McInerney's expertise in food sourcing and supply chain management to enhance its distributuion capabilities and expand product offerings.

Prior to FreshDirect, McInerney trained as a cook under chefs like Bernard Loiseau in Burgundy and David Bouley in New York City.

Source: Baldor Specialty Foods