SPAR, a leading provider of merchandising and retail execution solutions, is making a decisive leadership move as it looks to accelerate growth across the U.S. and Canada. The company has promoted Jean Richer to Head of North American Sales & Marketing, tasking the longtime consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail services executive with driving commercial expansion across merchandising and CPG clients.

Richer will report directly to CEO William Linnane, and his appointment comes at a moment when retailers and brands are rethinking how merchandising, data, and in-store execution fit into an increasingly omnichannel world.

At the same time, SPAR disclosed that multiple members of its executive leadership team have recently increased their ownership stakes in the company—an uncommon but notable signal of internal confidence as SPAR looks ahead to 2026 and beyond.

A Strategic Promotion Focused on Revenue Acceleration

In his new role, Richer will oversee SPAR’s full commercial growth agenda across North America, spanning sales strategy, marketing execution, and go-to-market alignment. The mandate is clear: help SPAR capture more value from existing relationships while expanding its footprint with CPG brands and retailers navigating complex in-store and last-mile challenges.

Richer brings more than 25 years of executive-level experience across the CPG and retail services ecosystem. Over the course of his career, he has led sales and marketing initiatives for some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands, including Seagram’s, Lactalis, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Anheuser-Busch. He has also held senior leadership roles within retail services firms and agencies—experience that closely aligns with SPAR’s core business model.

That blend of brand-side and services-side experience is increasingly valuable as merchandising evolves from a labor-driven function into a data-enabled, insight-led discipline.

Why Richer’s Background Matters Now

The merchandising and retail services market is undergoing a quiet but meaningful transformation. CPG brands are under pressure from margin compression, changing shopper behavior, and retailers demanding greater accountability for in-store execution. At the same time, data—from shelf analytics to performance measurement—is becoming central to how merchandising programs are evaluated and funded.

Richer’s career places him at the intersection of these trends. Having worked directly with global brands and within retail services organizations, he understands both sides of the value equation: what brands need to win at shelf, and what service providers must deliver to remain indispensable partners.

SPAR is betting that this perspective will help the company evolve its offerings toward modern, data-enabled merchandising solutions, rather than competing solely on scale or labor efficiency.

Leadership Confidence Signaled Through Share Purchases

Alongside Richer’s promotion, SPAR also announced that several members of its executive leadership team have recently increased their personal ownership in the company.

• Chief Financial Officer Steve Hennen purchased 55,000 shares

• Chief Technology Officer Josh Jewett purchased 125,000 shares

• CEO William Linnane, who acquired 173,000 shares earlier in November, now holds a total of 190,909 shares

While executive share purchases don’t guarantee future performance, they are often read by investors as a signal of leadership confidence—particularly when they occur across multiple roles, including finance and technology.

In SPAR’s case, the timing aligns with a broader narrative: leadership appears confident in the company’s strategic direction, its investment priorities, and its ability to adapt to an evolving retail landscape.

Aligning Sales, Technology, and Execution

The combination of a sales and marketing leadership change and increased executive ownership highlights another important theme: alignment.

Merchandising today is no longer just about feet on the ground. Technology platforms, analytics, and real-time reporting increasingly shape how programs are sold, executed, and renewed. With a CTO increasing his stake alongside commercial and financial leaders, SPAR appears to be reinforcing the idea that growth will come from tighter integration between sales strategy, operational execution, and technology enablement.

Richer’s remit will likely involve translating that integration into a clearer value proposition for CPG brands—one that emphasizes outcomes, not just activity.

Executive Perspective

“I am excited to have Jean leading sales and marketing across the U.S. and Canada,” said Linnane. “He brings a deep understanding of how CPG brands and retailers create value through world-class merchandising today and, more importantly, how the industry is evolving and how SPAR can serve as a catalyst for that change.”

Linnane also pointed to the leadership team’s growing ownership as a sign of long-term commitment. “I am pleased to see our Executive Leadership Team building meaningful ownership stakes in the Company, further aligning leadership with shareholders as we drive long-term growth and innovation into 2026 and beyond.”

What This Means for SPAR’s Customers

For SPAR’s retail and CPG clients, the leadership update suggests a sharper focus on growth-oriented merchandising programs—ones that balance execution at scale with better insights into performance.

As retailers demand more proof of impact and brands scrutinize every dollar spent in-store, service providers that can articulate and deliver measurable value will have an advantage. Richer’s experience across global brands and retail services positions him to shape SPAR’s sales narrative around those expectations.

Looking Ahead

SPAR’s promotion of Jean Richer and the increased ownership stakes by its leadership team point to a company preparing for its next phase of growth. The merchandising sector may not grab headlines like e-commerce or AI, but it remains a critical battleground for brands competing for shopper attention.

With a seasoned CPG executive leading North American sales and marketing—and leadership putting more skin in the game—SPAR is signaling that it intends to play a more influential role in how merchandising evolves over the next several years.

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