CHICAGO -- Thomas P. Haggai, chairman of IGA, expects to step down from that post by February and assume the title of non-executive chairman -- a post that will enable him to devote more time to interacting with IGA's members and manufacturer partners rather than focusing on day-to-day operations.
IGA said a committee of its board, headed by Ron Marshall, president and chief executive officer of Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis, will work with Eastman and Beaudine, a Plano, Texas-based executive search firm, to find a new president/CEO for IGA who will be designated as Haggai's successor as chairman when he ultimately retires.
Speaking with SN last week, Haggai said he isn't sure whether his successor will come from inside or outside the industry. "The search committee should not be afraid to go totally outside the company if it wants to, though there's something to be said for choosing someone from within IGA or with an involvement in the food industry," he said.
Haggai came from outside the industry. He spent the early part of his life as a Christian minister who also did radio commentaries and public speaking. He was a speaker at several IGA conventions before he was invited to join the alliance's board in 1972; he was named non-executive chairman in 1977 and became chairman and CEO in 1986.
Speaking with SN following the announcement, Haggai said he believes IGA needs a successor with a different approach to business than his own. "I tend to lead with my heart more than may be appropriate," he explained, "whereas perhaps my successor should be someone who leads with his head while still exhibiting plenty of heart."
Haggai said he believes the timing is right for him to retire. "I will be 75 years of age on Jan. 29, and IGA will mark its 80th anniversary. Plus, my health is good, and I feel very fortunate to be doing what I'm doing."
His enthusiasm for IGA has never waned, he said, "but [the 2003 liquidation of] Fleming, and the impact that had on our membership, took a lot out of me," he acknowledged. "It required that I do more day by day to keep our members' spirits up as we looked for new distribution companies, and that required me to think more like a food person.
"But I think my real strength is interfacing with people -- with our members, with the manufacturing community, which after all has been the backbone of IGA since the beginning -- IGA's founder, J. Frank Grimes, spent a year meeting with manufacturers before he started to sign up retailers because he understood how important those relationships with manufacturers are -- and with potential members overseas.
"Right now we're developing a lot of business overseas, and I want to dedicate much of my time to building on international relationships I've developed over three decades. But I can't do that when I have to be involved with matters back here."
