The Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) has announced the death of former COO Carole Christianson on Aug. 1 after a battle with leukemia.
Christianson retired in 2022, following a a 50-year career in the food and beverage industry and more than 15 years at the helm of the WAFC. During her time as COO, Christianson accomplished many “firsts,” including becoming the first female Illuminator Headlight.
“Every one of us had a unique relationship with Carole, but one thing was for sure, her message was always surrounded by love and rooted in passion and encouragement,” WAFC COO Pat Posey shared in a press release. “Carole had a unique way of making all of us feel important and special.”
Before joining WAFC, Christianson spent more than 29 years in the food and beverage industry, culminating with her role at Coca-Cola as VP of national accounts.
In 2003, she established her own venture “Christianson West,” leveraging her network with retailers in the Western U.S., with her first client being Kellogg’s. In 2005, Christianson was retained by the WAFC to establish a formal business meeting process for the 2006 and 2007 annual WAFC conventions.
In 2020, Christianson and her late husband Paul were awarded the “Spirit of Life Award” by the City of Hope as founders of Kids 4Hope, raising more than $17.1 million to date. Christianson was recognized by the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business as the USC Food Industry Executive of the Year in April 2021.
Christianson was most recently president of the “His Little Feet” nonprofit organization.
Christianson’s daughters Amanda and Ashlee shared, “The void she has left is immeasurable, and words fall short of expressing the depth of our family’s grief and the profound feeling of loss shared by all who knew her … It brings me great peace to know that she is now reunited with Dad, the love of her life, whom she longed for every single day since his passing. Her spirit will forever live on in our hearts and we will go on with absolute certainty that she knew how loved she was and loved us in return.”
[RELATED: WAFC COO Christianson Announces Retirement]