Last updated on February 29th, 2024
The board of directors for Springfield, Massachusetts-based Big Y Foods Inc. has announced six appointments.
According to Michael P. D’Amour, president and CEO, “It’s always gratifying to see dedicated and talented individuals grow within our company. I’m confident that through their collaboration, we will continue to innovate and excel in serving our communities.”
Devyn Blais
Blais has been appointed VP of finance, where she will provide strategic leadership, planning and direction for all financial management activities, including accounting and financial reporting, cash management and financial services and financial planning and analysis. She reports to Theresa A. Jasmin, SVP and CFO.
Blais has more than 18 years of experience within Big Y’s finance and accounting departments. She started in 2005 as a senior accountant, became assistant controller in 2010, was named director of accounting in 2016 and senior director of finance in 2022.
Prior to Big Y, she worked in public accounting and as an internal auditor for a local retailer/manufacturer.
Blais has completed the National Grocers Association’s Executive Development Program. She has served on Big Y’s Scholarship Committee, was a founding member of Big Y’s Friendship Fund and is a committee member of its Y You Belong employee resource group focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
John P. Fraro
Fraro is the new senior director of fresh foods, where he will be responsible for all aspects of Big Y’s fresh departments, including meat, seafood, bakery, deli, kitchen, produce and floral. He reports to Michael R. Cormier, SVP of sales and marketing.
Fraro started at Big Y in 2005 as an assistant food service/kitchen manager after having held positions in meat, bakery and deli for two other retailers for the prior five years.
In 2006, Fraro was appointed sous chef at Big Y’s Fresh Acres Market and later in 2008 as its meal solutions manager. In 2009, he became the company’s junior deli buyer followed by bakery sales manager.
From 2014-17, Fraro was deli sales manager, then produce sales manager until his 2017 appointment as director of deli, bakery and kitchen.
In 2017, Fraro was recognized as one of the 40 Under 40 Food Industry Rising Leaders by The Griffin Report of the Northeast and in 2020, he was one of The Shelby Report’s People to Watch. He has completed the National Grocers Association’s Executive Development Program. Last year, he received the 2023 Emerging Leader Award by the Massachusetts Food Association.
David J. Argento
David J. Argento has been promoted to director of pharmacy, where he will be responsible for setting overall direction and goals for the pharmacy division, and the development and execution of programs, promotions, services and operational excellence for Big Y’s 33 in-store pharmacies. He will report to Nicole D’Amour Schneider, SVP of retail operations and customer experience.
Argento holds a RPh from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. His experience spans from 1985-06 at Bayer Pharmaceutical in several positions, including sales and marketing, sales management, strategic planning and trade relations until assuming the role as pharmacy manager at CVS in 2007 and then at Big Y in 2010. By 2013, he was appointed manager of pharmacy operations in Connecticut, and in 2020 became senior manager of pharmacy operations.
James T. Billingsley
Billingsley has been appointed director of accounting, where he will provide leadership, planning and direction for corporate accounting, inventory and financial reporting, ensuring that Big Y’s financial statements are compliant with evolving technical accounting requirements. He reports to Devyn Blais, VP of finance.
Billingsley started at Big Y in 2005 as staff accountant in fixed assets and in 2006 became an inventory staff accountant. By 2007, he was named senior financial reporting project specialist, and in 2011 as financial reporting manager until his role as senior accounting manager in 2018.
He has earned several achievement awards during his career for his personal accomplishments and his contributions to several cross-functional team projects. He also completed the National Grocers Association’s Executive Leadership Program in 2023.
Iliana Del Valle-Colon
The company has elevated Valle-Colon to director of deli, bakery and kitchen. In her new role, she will be responsible for all sales, marketing and merchandising for these departments.
She began her retail career as a greeter at New York & Co in 1999, where she held several positions, including cashier, co-manager and store manager, until she joined Stop & Shop in 2002.
With that company, she worked in various capacities, including customer service manager/ assistant manager, perishable and non-perishable managers, division sales analyst, center store and general merchandise specialist and store manager.
She joined Big Y in 2017 as a reserve store director followed by corporate deli sales manager and later corporate seafood sales manager. She reports to John P. Fraro, senior director of fresh foods.
In 2019, Del Valle-Colon earned a Food Executive Program Certificate from Cornell University, and in 2021 received a Future Leaders Certificate from the Food Marketing Institute.
In 2014, she was awarded Stop & Shop’s Assistant Store Manager of the Year and from 2016-17 was a member of their Women Adding Value team. While at Big Y, she has been a member of Women L.E.A.D, Big Y’s employee resource group.
Amanda M. Pereira
Amanda M. Pereira now holds the title of director of treasury, where she will report to Devyn Blais, VP of finance.
Pereira joined Big Y in 2014 after several years in public accounting. At Big Y, she started as a manager of accounts payable and fixed assets. Following that, she moved on to accounts payable and accounts receivable manager, treasury manager and senior treasury manager until her current appointment.
In her new role, Pereira will provide leadership, planning and direction for accounts payable and receivable, fixed assets, store accounting and financial services.
Pereira has been recognized with several Outstanding Achievement awards during her time at Big Y and was a member of Women L.E.A.D. employee resource group. She completed the National Grocers Association’s Executive Leadership program in 2023.
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