Advantage Solutions has appointed Bob Hardester as Chief Information Officer, effective March 2, 2026. He joins the company as it continues to strengthen its technology and data capabilities in support of consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. In the role, Hardester will lead Advantage Solutions’ enterprise information technology organization, overseeing global IT systems and advancing the digital capabilities that support clients, customers, and internal teams.
Hardester brings more than two decades of digital transformation experience, and Advantage Solutions’ leadership page describes that track record as spanning more than 30 years across enterprise technology and AI-driven innovation. Most recently, he served as Chief Information Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schnuck Markets, where he led ecommerce expansion through Instacart and other partnerships, digitally enabled store operations, and automated supply chain processes. Earlier in his career, he held technology leadership roles including Vice President of Corporate Systems at Express Scripts, Chief Information Officer at Furniture Brands International, and Chief Information Officer for General Electric’s Commercial Distribution Finance division.
Why this matters: Advantage Solutions sits at the intersection of consumer goods brands, retailers, data, and execution, so the CIO role is tightly connected to commercial performance rather than back-office infrastructure alone. Bringing in a leader with both technology and supply chain experience signals that Advantage is prioritizing operational digitization, data-led execution, and tighter alignment between enterprise systems and growth strategy in a highly competitive retail services market.
