internal
John Venhuizen
President & Chief Executive Officer
Executive
12 yr
15 reports
Ace Hardware Corporation
Retailer-owned cooperative with centralized wholesale leadership
Wholesalers · Fortune #429 · Hybrid structure · 12K employees · Oak Brook, Illinois
6
CEO span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 8)
2.6
Avg span
moderate
3
Max depth
3 levels
6.4 yr
Avg tenure
33%
Internal hires
↓ below industry avg
Interactive org chart
Ace Hardware Corporation organizational chart
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Retailer-owned cooperative with centralized wholesale leadership. This page maps Ace Hardware’s executive structure, showing how a functional C-suite supports thousands of independent stores, with analysis of spans, tenure, and peer comparison.
What to model
Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines
Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.
Scenario views in the chart
- Add Chief AI Officer Create a Chief AI Officer role reporting to the CEO to accelerate data, forecasting, and personalization for independent retailers.
- Move Digital Commerce under CIO Shift Digital Commerce from Marketing to Technology to unify platforms and reduce duplication.
Atlas work this supports
- Connect Workday or UKG Get these analytics for YOUR org — tenure, span of control, headcount, automatically from your HRIS.
- Connect Salesforce Map your target accounts like this. Import contacts, visualize decision chains, plan multi-threading.
- Plan a Reorg Use this as a starting point. Model scenarios, compare structures, present options to your board.
The people
Who's running this
7 executives identified as Named Executive Officers in the most recent SEC proxy. Bar length scales with tenure.
internal
Brian McManus
Chief Operating Officer
Operations
3 yr
2 reports
Anthony Zucaro
Chief Financial Officer
Finance
5 yr
2 reports
Kim Lefko
Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing
7 yr
2 reports
John Sabol
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology
4 yr
1 reports
Michelle Larson
Chief Human Resources Officer
Human Resources
6 yr
1 reports
Renee Changnon
General Counsel & Secretary
Legal
8 yr
1 reports
The businesses
How Ace Hardware Corporation divides the work
4 divisions report into the group CEO. Tile size scales with estimated headcount.
Operations & Supply Chain
6K employees
Chief Operating Officer (Brian McManus)
Manages distribution centers, logistics, and retail operations support for member stores.
Marketing & Digital
900 employees
Chief Marketing Officer (Kim Lefko)
Oversees brand marketing, advertising, loyalty, and digital commerce platforms.
Finance
700 employees
Chief Financial Officer (Anthony Zucaro)
Responsible for financial reporting, treasury, planning, and member financial services.
Information Technology
800 employees
Chief Information Officer (John Sabol)
Develops and operates enterprise systems, retail technology, and data platforms.
The thesis
Why this org is unusual
Ace Hardware’s most distinctive structural feature is its retailer-owned cooperative model paired with a centralized wholesale and services leadership team.
Unlike investor-owned retailers, the CEO oversees functional executives who serve independent store owners rather than company-operated outlets. This results in strong central control over supply chain, merchandising support, and brand standards.
The org chart shows a classic enterprise hybrid: a functional C-suite with deep operations and marketing leadership, but without divisional presidents for regions or banners. Operations and supply chain report through a powerful COO role, reflecting Ace’s scale as a distributor. Marketing and digital are centralized to maintain a single brand across thousands of independent retailers.
- Retailer-owned cooperative structure
- Strong COO role overseeing supply chain
- Centralized brand and digital leadership
The comparison
How Ace Hardware Corporation stacks up
Compared with other large wholesale or retail cooperatives, Ace Hardware maintains a lean C-suite and relatively flat structure. Unlike Home Depot or Lowe’s, which operate company-owned stores with multiple divisional presidents, Ace concentrates authority at headquarters to support franchise-like owners. Peers such as …
C-suite size
Reporting depth
Ace Hardware Corporation
3 levels
True Value
4 levels
Do it Best
4 levels
6 levels
6 levels
Avg C-suite tenure
Has COO / Has CAIO
Ace Hardware Corporation ✓ COO — no CAIO
True Value ✓ COO — no CAIO
Do it Best ✓ COO — no CAIO
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the CEO of Ace Hardware?
John Venhuizen has served as President and CEO of Ace Hardware since 2013.
What type of organizational structure does Ace Hardware use?
Ace Hardware uses a hybrid functional structure supporting a retailer-owned cooperative model.
How many direct reports does Ace Hardware's CEO have?
The CEO has six direct reports, covering operations, finance, marketing, technology, HR, and legal.
How has Ace Hardware's leadership changed recently?
No major C-suite changes have been publicly disclosed in the most recent period.
Does Ace Hardware have a COO?
Yes. Brian McManus serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing supply chain and retail operations.
Sources
- www.acehardware.com/leadership/
Reference
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Creately. "Ace Hardware Corporation Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/ace-hardware/.Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/ace-hardware/ · last updated 2026-04-01