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San Bernardino

Stater Bros. Will Promote Two To Executive Roles

Stater Bros. Markets has announced the promotion of two veteran employees to new vice president positions.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in People

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Stater Bros. Markets has promoted Kelvin Austin and Mani Subramanian to vice president roles within the San Bernardino-based supermarket chain. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Beginning Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, Kelvin Austin will serve as vice president of store operations and Mani Subramanian will lead information technology applications. Both employees have longstanding careers with the San Bernardino-based supermarket chain.

Why it matters

These leadership appointments reflect an internal organizational shift as the company aims to support its operations across nearly 170 locations. The promotions position veteran staff members to oversee critical divisions for the retailer.

Stater Bros. currently operates nearly 170 supermarkets with a workforce of 18,000 associates. The company maintains a 90-year history of service and holds a rank of 57 on The PG 100 list.

The players

Kelvin Austin

He is the incoming vice president of store operations who has been with the company since 1999.

Mani Subramanian

He is the incoming vice president of information technology applications who has been with the firm since 2017.

Bertha Luna

She serves as the executive vice president of store operations.

Mike Reed

He is the executive vice president and chief financial officer at the grocery chain.

The details

Kelvin Austin, who joined the company in 1999, will report to EVP Store Operations Bertha Luna. Mani Subramanian, a staff member since 2017, will report to EVP and CFO Mike Reed.

Timeline

  1. Kelvin Austin joined the firm in 1999.

  2. Mani Subramanian began his career at the company in 2017.

  3. Kelvin Austin was promoted to district manager in 2021.

  4. The new roles become effective Monday, Sept. 28, 2026.

Market Landscape

The organizational adjustments maintain leadership stability within the company's hierarchy while it sustains its market position. These appointments follow the company's inclusion on The PG 100 list, reinforcing its stature against regional grocery competitors.

These internal leadership changes do not directly impact daily pricing or shopping experiences for retail customers. Shoppers should expect standard service levels to continue uninterrupted at local supermarkets.

The takeaway

Retailers often promote long-term staff to leadership roles to preserve institutional knowledge and operational consistency. Investing in internal talent remains a core strategy for large-scale supermarket chains maintaining multi-decade legacies.

Further reading

For more on local leadership changes, visit the People section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Progressive Grocer.

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Do you trust local regional supermarket chains more than national retail corporations?