Grocery Outlet expands board of directors

Extreme-value retailer Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has named Gail Moody-Byrd and María Fernanda Mejía to its board of directors, which now has 12 members.

Grocery Outlet said late yesterday that Moody-Byrd and Mejía joined the board effective Jan. 18 and bring technology and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry expertise to the company. The fast-growing, warehouse-style grocer, based in Emeryville, Calif., became a public company in June 2019 and has since expanded its retail base from 323 stores to 375 locations in California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Nevada. Net sales in the retailer's most recently reported quarter, ended Sept. 26, jumped 17.% to $764.1 million while samee-store sales rose 9.1%.

“We are pleased to be welcoming Gail and María Fernanda to our board of directors,” Grocery Outlet Chairman Erik Ragatz said in a statement. “Both are highly accomplished in their fields and bring tremendous experience to the organization.”

Moody-Byrd has more than 35 years of experience in B2B technology marketing and retail/wholesale industry consulting, merchandising and planning, Grocery Outlet said. Currently, she serves as chief marketing officer for Noodle.ai, an artificial intelligence software company, where she oversees the entire marketing stack, including category and brand awareness, demand generation, digital marketing and business development. She is also a board member at Juma Ventures, a nonprofit focused on reducing poverty in the United States through work, education and financial capability for youth. 

Related:Grocery Outlet fuels expansion as third-quarter sales climb

Prior to joining Noodle.ai, Moody-Byrd spent 10 years at enterprise software giant SAP, most recently as vice president of web marketing. Her retail industry experience includes roles with divisions of Macy’s Inc. and Target Corporation, with Levi, Strauss & Co. and as a Retail consultant with McKinsey & Company and Walter K. Levy Associates. 

A veteran CPG executive Mejía’s global career extends more than 30 years in general management and operations, including experience in strategic planning, brand management, customer development, supply chain, digital engagement, M&A and talent development. She most recently served as senior vice president at The Kellogg Co. and president of Kellogg Latin America. During her tenure, she led the growth and transformation of Kellogg’s Latin America business and organization, including the development of a long-term strategy to accelerate growth in the core and emerging core segments, Grocery Outlet noted. She was also a talent leader and diversity champion of Kellogg’s corporate and regional initiatives. 

Related:Hellman & Friedman to divest stake in Grocery Outlet

Before coming to  Kellogg, Mejía served as corporate vice president and general manager of global personal care at Colgate-Palmolive Co., where she had direct oversight of strategy category and brand development, consumer insights, R&D and supply chain. She currently serves as a nonexecutive director at Bunzl PLC.

“Gail’s background in brand awareness, technology and data-driven consumer marketing and retail industry consulting, combined with María Fernanda’s experience in strategic planning, supply chain and customer engagement, further strengthen our board,” according to Ragatz. “Importantly, Gail and María Fernanda are champions of diversity and strongly align with Grocery Outlet’s culture. We look forward to benefiting from their expertise, creativity and enthusiasm as we continue to advance our long-term growth strategies.”