ARLINGTON, Va. — Food Marketing Institute here on Friday said its board of directors has selected Leslie G. Sarasin as president and chief executive officer.

Sarasin, who has served as president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute since 1999, succeeds Tim Hammonds at FMI, who is retiring. She will start at FMI in early November.

“I speak for the entire board when I say that we are very eager to welcome Leslie aboard. She is well connected with our industry and brings a wealth of experience to her new post as well as a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement,” Steven C. Smith, board chair of FMI, said in a statement. “I am confident that under her leadership, we will be able to move the association forward at a critical time for our industry.”

Sarasin joined AFFI in 1989 and previously served in government relations for the National Food Brokers Association and as legal counsel at Crest International.

“Leslie Sarasin is an excellent selection,” C. Manly Molpus, interim president and CEO of Grocery Manufacturers Association, said in a separate statement Friday. “She has been a friend and colleague for many years. She will be an effective leader for the FMI and we at the GMA look forward to working with her as we focus on strengthened FMI-GMA collaboration.”

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