AD announced Marty McLaughlin has joined the group as its first chief marketing officer effective April 1. McLaughlin is charged with collaborating with AD’s members and boards to identify new areas of added value for its community, beyond the core functions of a buying and marketing group.

“We’re making an investment in this new leadership position to drive the collective imagination and strategy of AD’s next generation of offerings, all aimed at helping our independent members and supplier partners win and grow,” CEO Bill Weisberg said. “AD has a long, successful track record of delivering value-added program innovations, such as eCommerce Solutions, HR Services, market planning and private label brands. Our CMO will help us introduce new offerings and evolve existing programs even further, ensuring we’re keenly attuned to the voice of stakeholders in the process.”