Smart & Final Adds Elaine Rubin to Board

Smart & Final Stores Inc. has elected Elaine Rubin, president of Digital Prophets Network, to its board.

Rubin, who founded the Woodbury, N.Y.-based consulting, advisory and executive placement firm, which has a network of 150-plus certified digital and retail commerce experts, has more than 20 years of executive management and advisory experience in projecting, developing and managing e-commerce, digital, marketing, retail and direct-to-consumer businesses. She has served in leadership positions at 1800flowers.com, iVillage.com and Amazon.com, and helped brands such as Pier1 Imports and E.L.F. cosmetics develop their dotcom digital strategies. As a direct-to-consumer business and multichannel marketing pioneer with strategic and operational experience in retail, she is best known in the industry as founder, chairman and board member of Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s digital division.

“Elaine's extensive board and management experience in e-commerce and digital retail will provide valuable perspectives and insights on our customer-centric business,” said Dave Hirz, president and CEO of Smart & Final. “We're pleased to have her join our board as Smart & Final continues its growth plan and works to provide innovative offerings to its customers.”

Rubin is actively engaged as a board member of jewelry retailer Blue Nile and outdoor recreation merchant Moosejaw Mountaineering, an adviser to beverage company Hint Inc., a member of the Shop.org Think Tank, and co-founder of Retreat & Disrupt, an invitation-only digital leaders summit. She also has served as an NRF board member, receiving a Silver Plaque Award for service to the Washington, D.C.-based association, and as a retail advisory board member for financial services company Hilco Global.

Smart & Final Stores Inc., based in Commerce, Calif., operates 304 grocery and foodservice stores under the Smart & Final, Smart & Final Extra! and Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice banners in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada and Idaho, with an additional 15 stores in northwestern Mexico operated through a joint venture.