Last updated on December 14th, 2018
Co+opportunity Market & Deli, a Los Angeles-area natural foods retailer for 45 years, has hired industry veteran Mike Bowen as its GM. Bowen was chosen after a national search led by Co+opportunity’s board of directors.
Bowen has been a part of Southern California’s natural foods landscape at the operations and strategic level for 30 years, having served the majority of his career in senior management positions at Whole Foods Market. Prior to joining Co+opportunity, Bowen was store director at Erewhon Market in Hollywood.
“Our board is very excited about Mike Bowen joining our team,” said Co+opportunity’s Board President Steve Bornstein. “Mike has already demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm about improving our performance to solidify our position in a very competitive market and ensure the future sustainability of our co-op and everything that makes us special. We’re confident Mike’s unique, extensive and impressive track record of successfully starting and managing new stores in our market will be a tremendous benefit and guarantee Co+opportunity’s continued success.”
Bowen brings a proven track record of budget maximization, team building, customer service and merchandising and an enthusiasm for natural foods to the company, says Co+opportunity. He started his career in the early days of Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Markets, a store that “set industry standards for quality service and products before it was acquired by Whole Foods,” the company says.
“I’m both thrilled and honored to be joining Co+opportunity, a cooperative organization that shares in my values, supports our farmers, lifts up staff and prioritizes providing the best food to our community,” said Bowen. “I look forward to meeting the co-op’s owners and working closely with the board and staff to continue to position the co-op as the pioneers of the organic food industry.”
Bowen will take up his new position near the end of December, collaborating with Interim General Manager Wynston Estis during a transition period to last until the end of the year.
“Co+opportunity and the board owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Wynston Estis who served as our interim general manager for the past 8 months,” said Bornstein. “Wynston achieved or exceeded all of the critical benchmarks required and set for her by our stakeholders and has also made an invaluable contribution to the professional development of our staff and our board. Everyone at Co+opportunity is better for having had Wynston with us, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”
Co+opportunity’s board is planning meet and greet events with Bowen and the co-op community in January at both of its locations—Santa Monica and Culver City—with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
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