Lowes Foods CEO Brian George named FMI chairman

Brian George, CEO and president of Lowes Foods parent Alex Lee, Inc., is the new chairman of the FMI—The Food Industry Association’s board of directors, the grocery industry group announced Sunday at its annual conference.

George assumes the two-year post from former Hy-Vee CEO and President Randy Edeker, who served an extra year along with the rest of FMI’s board due to the ongoing ripple effects of the pandemic.

“FMI is incredibly grateful to our outgoing directors under the leadership of immediate past chairman Randy Edeker for guiding our industry through these difficult times, seizing opportunities to better position our industry for success and meeting this historic moment with a profound spirit of commitment to our industry peers and our customers,” FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to build on these successes with incoming chairman Brian George at the helm and our slate of new directors in the year ahead.”

George will be joined by these new board vice chairmen, all elected to two-year terms: SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam, communications; Northgate Gonzalez Market Co-President Oscar Gonzalez, finance; ShopRite of Hunterdon Country President Joe Colalillo, food safety; John Najjar of Seaside Market, independent operators; Albertsons EVP and COO Susan Morris, industry relations; Target SVP of Food and Beverage Lisa Roath, member services; Mondelez International SVP Twyla Bailey, product supplier; Fareway Stores CEO Reynolds Cramer, public affairs; and UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas, wholesaler.

The full list of FMI’s leadership can be found here.

“Coming off the disruption of the last three years, the food industry is at a pivotal point where both challenge and opportunity meet,” George said in a statement. “We strive to deepen our industry knowledge through education, strengthen our industry partnerships through collaboration and encourage policies that cultivate a flourishing business environment through advocacy efforts in Washington. I’m incredibly honored by the trust my industry peers and colleagues have placed in me as FMI’s incoming chairman at this critical juncture as we collectively work to fulfill our mission to feed the American people.”