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WGB Presents Charter Slate of Grocery Game Changers

Amid an unprecedented period of transformation, Winsight Grocery Business is pleased to showcase a compilation of the most influential leaders in food retailing today.

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grocery game changers 2018
Amid an unprecedented period of transformation, Winsight Grocery Business is pleased to showcase a compilation of the most influential leaders in food retailing today, courtesy of nominations submitted on their behalf during an open call for nominations in August.Lettering by Michael Doret

Amid an unprecedented period of transformation, Winsight Grocery Business is pleased to showcase a compilation of the most influential leaders in food retailing today, courtesy of nominations submitted on their behalf during an open call for nominations in August.

The swatch of senior-level retail executives are each making transformative contributions to their companies—in both expected and unexpected ways—with fearless leadership, iconoclastic mindsets, superior team-building and transformative results. While some of the 18 individuals chosen as inaugural Grocery Game Changers represent a new breed of grocery groundbreakers who are helping to redefine their companies’ infrastructure, culture and overall mindset, others are familiar formidable forces that have proven to be as adaptable as they are talented, evident in their legacies of entrenched grocery industry experience.

Regardless of their standing as being new to the industry or seasoned incumbents, they all share three essential traits required of successful retail leaders today: exceptional talent, enterprising drive and incisive vision. And they are all infusing all three to move both their companies and the industry forward in ways that were unimaginable only a few short years ago.

WGB’s charter slate of Grocery Game Changers include:

  • Anil Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Shoptalk/Groceryshop

  • Jag Bath, chief digital officer, H-E-B; president and CEO of its wholly owned subsidiary Favor

  • Yael Cosset, chief digital officer, The Kroger Co.

  • Jim Donald, president and CEO, Albertsons Cos.

  • Johannes Fieber, President and CEO, Lidl U.S.

  • J.J. Fleeman, president, Peapod Digital Labs; chief e-commerce officer, Ahold Delhaize USA

  • Jason Hart, CEO, Aldi U.S.

  • Gary and Sterling Hawkins, founder/CEO and co-founder, Center for Advancing Retail Technology (CART)

  • Chris Lane, EVP, Wakefern Food Corp.

  • Bo and Trish Sharon, co-founders, Lucky’s Market

  • Steve Kessel, SVP, Amazon

  • Terry Ledbetter, chief information officer, Meijer Inc.

  • Marc Lore, president and CEO, Walmart E-commerce U.S.

  • Amin Maredia, CEO, Sprouts Farmers Markets

  • Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Instacart

  • Steven Spinner, chairman and CEO, UNFI

  • John Ross, CEO, IGA

  • Donna Tweeten, EVP, CMO and CCO, Hy-Vee Inc.

Profiles of WGB's 2018 Grocery Game Changers can be found on the companion slideshow here.

About the Authors

Meg Major

Meg Major formerly lead the content and editorial strategy for Winsight Grocery Business. Meg has more than 25 years of experience covering the U.S. retail grocery industry, including 18 years at Progressive Grocer, where she held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, including fresh food editor, executive editor, editor-in-chief, editorial director and content chief. In addition to her content leadership duties at PG, Meg spearheaded Top Women in Grocery since its inception in 2007. She began her career at the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA), followed next as editor-in-chief of Philadelphia-based Food Trade News. A native of Pittsburgh, Meg holds a B.A. in journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).  

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

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