PASADENA, Calif. — The Western Association of Food Chains here has named Carole Christianson to succeed Ed Hill as executive vice president, effective today. Hill, who has headed WAFC for about 10 years since he retired from Abco Markets, will continue to serve as a professor in the Food Industry Management program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. Christianson — the first woman to head WAFC in its 106-year history — was an executive with Coca-Cola until 2003, when she established her own company, Christianson West. WAFC is a nonprofit educational organization comprising retailers and wholesalers in the 14 Western states. It is also the primary sponsor of the Food Industry Management program and the Executive Food Industry Management program at USC and the retail management certificate program now being offered at more than 110 community colleges.
— Elliot Zwiebach
