General Mills today announced a new global organizational structure that the Minneapolis-based company says will support growth and drive greater efficiency by streamlining the company’s leadership, maximizing global scale and increasing operational agility. The new structure is expected to impact approximately 400-600 positions worldwide, subject to consultation with employees and employee representatives in locations as required, […]
Category: Executive News
Grocery industry executive news: appointments, promotions and leadership changes at retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.
Follow every leadership change in Executive Moves.
Keyes Adding CEO Title As Hank Meijer Moves Into Executive Chairman’s Role At Meijer
Effective Jan. 1, Meijer President Rick Keyes will add the title of CEO as Hank Meijer, who has held the role of CEO, will transition to executive chairman of the company’s board. “We have witnessed Rick’s deep understanding and appreciation of our culture and his passion for the people who make Meijer a great company,” […]
Pesco Becomes CEO Of Save Mart
The Save Mart Cos.’ Nicole Piccinini Pesco has been promoted to CEO of the 206-store grocery chain. She most recently served as co-president and chief strategy and branding officer for the Modesto, California-based company. In July 2015, she led Save Mart’s launch of its first new concept store format in more than 20 years with the introduction […]
Lucky’s Market Leader Steve Black Joins Rouses As President, COO
Steve Black, previously president of Lucky’s Market, a specialty grocery chain focused on natural, organic and locally grown products, has been named president and COO of Rouses Markets, effective in December. Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Markets, made the announcement today. Rouse recently assumed his new role as CEO of the 56-year-old Thibodaux, Louisiana-based company. Before […]
Sanders To Resign From Sprouts Farmers Market Board
Doug Sanders will resign as executive chairman of the Sprouts Farmers Market board of directors. He will focus his efforts on his recent appointment as CEO of a technology company. The change will become effective at the board’s next scheduled meeting on Feb. 20. “Doug has been an integral part of Sprouts since our inception and […]
Veteran Grocer Jesse Lewis Launches Consulting Firm
Jesse Lewis, who has spent nearly 60 years in the grocery industry, has stepped down from his day-to-day role as EVP and COO at K-VA-T/Food City in Abingdon, Virginia, and launched his own firm, JAL Consulting LLC. Lewis, and his wife of 57 years, Joyce, reside in Piney Flats, Tennessee, in the eastern part of […]
Albertsons Cos. Supports, Celebrates Veterans
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Albertsons Cos. announced that it is paying tribute to veterans with a host of community-based events, financial support to veterans organizations and additional outreach to honor and show appreciation for America’s veterans. The company and its 19 store banners, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, has dedicated a week of […]
Gordy’s Market Appoints New CEO And COO, Makes Other Leadership Changes
Gordy and Donna Schafer today announced the retirement of their sons Jeff Schafer, president of Gordy’s Market, and Rick Schafer, VP of facilities. Jeff and Rick have worked for the Wisconsin-based, family-owned and -operated business for more than 80 years combined. Gordy’s Market CFO David Schafer, son of Gordy and Donna, will assume the role […]
Washington Food Industry Association Names New Board Leaders
The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) has named two longtime leaders in the state’s grocery industry to lead the organization’s board of directors in 2017. Mike Erickson, chairman of Harbor Wholesale Foods in Lacey, will serve as the WFIA’s board chairman, succeeding Mike Trask of Stanlar Foods Inc. The association’s new first vice chair, Metropolitan […]
AWG’s Pickerill Retiring, Gates To Manage Kansas City Division
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) says that Division Manager Bob Pickerill is retiring from the Kansas City division at the end of the year. Pickerill joined AWG in 1997 at the Springfield, Missouri, division. Over the course of his career, he has served in a variety of progressive positions. In 2015, he returned to Kansas City as […]
NGA Makes Three Appointments To Board Of Directors
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has appointed David Ochs, SVP of sales, East, KeHE Distributors, and Jeff Strack, president and CEO of Strack & Van Til, to fill recent vacancies on its board of directors. Additionally, the organization has named Mike Stigers, EVP and president, wholesale and supply chain services, Supervalu, to serve on the board’s […]
NatureSweet Tomatoes Taps Former Walmart, Costco Exec For Leadership Team
NatureSweet Tomatoes has named Manolo Reyes VP of business development. In his new position, Reyes is responsible for expanding the NatureSweet brand along with identifying and pursuing long-term growth opportunities to deliver sustainable profits for the company. He will report directly to CEO and President Bryant Ambelang. “I am thrilled to be joining NatureSweet, a […]
Whole Foods Market Promotes Lorenzen To Pacific Northwest Regional President
Whole Foods Market has appointed Angela Lorenzen regional president of the company’s Pacific Northwest region. She will oversee 22 stores in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, including a store that opened this week in Eugene, Oregon, and a store in Victoria, B.C., opening in November. Lorenzen previously served Whole Foods Market’s Northern California region in various leadership roles, including […]
Brookshire Grocery Co. Promotes Four Officers
Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has promoted four of its leaders. Kyle McCoy is EVP and CFO; Holly Shotts is VP and controller; and Cindy Murphy and Curtis Wiggins are VPs of information technology. McCoy, who most recently was the Tyler, Texas-based grocer’s SVP and treasurer, joined BGC in 1998 as an accountant. He has served […]
Whole Foods Taps Former Walmart, Starbucks Execs For Global VP Roles
Whole Foods Market is welcoming three new global VPs: Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, global VP of marketing; Martin Tracey, global VP of team member services; and Brooke Buchanan, global VP of communications. “We are thrilled to welcome Sonya, Martin and Brooke to our senior leadership team,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “They are […]
Dean Foods Reveals CEO Succession Plan
Dean Foods Co., the Dallas, Texas-based processor and direct-to-store distributor of fresh fluid milk and other dairy and dairy case products, said Sept. 1 that Ralph Scozzafava, EVP and COO, will succeed Gregg A. Tanner as the company’s CEO and a member of the board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2017. For transition purposes, Tanner […]
Acosta Appoints Matthesen President And CEO
Acosta has named Steve Matthesen president and CEO, effective Sept. 6. Matthesen succeeds current President and CEO Robert Hill, who will become vice chair of the board of directors, also effective Sept. 6, and will continue to work with Acosta’s clients and customers in this new role. Hill has been with the company and industry […]
Pinnacle Foods Appoints Kellogg’s Leader President Of Boulder Business
Pinnacle Foods has appointed Michael E. Allen, food industry veteran with significant experience leading health and wellness brands, to the position of EVP and president of its Boulder business, effective Sept 19. Allen will report to CEO Mark Clouse and replace Phil Anson, interim Boulder GM and founder of EVOL frozen foods. In his new […]
Valenzuela Becoming Albertsons-Safeway’s Eastern Division President, Schroeder To Lead In Seattle
Dan Valenzuela, president of Albertsons-Safeway’s Seattle Division, will move to Maryland to become president of the company’s Eastern Division, effective immediately. Karl Schroeder, who currently is SVP of corporate merchandising, will take over in Seattle. Valenzeula made the announcement in an internal memo to employees this week. “Over the last year and a half, it […]
Bloom Named CEO Of Fred’s As Shore Sets Retirement Date
Fred’s Inc. CEO Jerry A. Shore will retire from the company in February, and the Memphis, Tennessee-based company’s board of directors has promoted Michael K. Bloom to CEO, effective immediately. Bloom, who joined Fred’s as president and COO in January 2015, has worked closely with Shore on building a strong management team to ensure a […]
