Fresh Thyme Market Names New President

Illinois-based grocer Fresh Thyme Market has named a new president following the retirement of former president Gerald Melville. 

Liz Zolcak has been appointed president of the company, which sells products under its private brands at 71 stores in 10 Midwestern states. Zolcak has 17 years of retail leadership experience and joined Fresh Thyme Market in 2020 as Vice President of Operations, overseeing the company's stores. 

She previously led in both domestic and international operations with Kroger and Aldi, including roles as Vice President of Retail Operations for Kroger, Division President of Ruler Foods, and Marketing Director for Aldi.

According to a recent Newsweek poll, Fresh Thyme Market was ranked as the sixth-best supermarket chain on the list of America’s Best Retailers.

"I am thrilled and humbled to take on this exciting new challenge and to be trusted to lead such an incredible team," Zolcak said. "Gerald and I have been able to accomplish significant wins with the team during our time working together, and I'm looking forward to even more successes ahead." 

Melville, who is retiring after 43 years in retail, became president of Fresh Thyme Market in 2019, joining the retailer from Meijer.

"My tenure at Fresh Thyme Market has been challenging and exciting," Melville said. "As I move on to my next phase, I'm very confident Fresh Thyme Market is poised for continued success as I hand the baton to Liz."