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Festival Foods adds Leslie Atkinson as VP of marketing

Former Brookshire, Food Lion executive brings 20-plus years of marketing expertise

Russell Redman

June 21, 2021

2 Min Read
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Before coming to Festival Foods, Atkinson most recently served as VP of marketing at Brookshire Grocery Co.Festival Foods

Leslie Atkinson has joined Festival Foods as vice president of marketing, coming over from Brookshire Grocery Co.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Festival Foods said Atkinson starts in the role effective today. She held the same post in leading marketing in her 14-month tenure at Brookshire, which operates 178 supermarkets under four retail banners in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Leslie Atkinson-Festival Foods.jpg“I’m thrilled to join the Festival Foods family,” Atkinson (left) said in a statement. “I deeply admire and connect with the culture and look forward to collaborating with the leadership and marketing teams to drive continued growth through a continued focus on the guest experience and associate development.”

Atkinson brings more than 20 years of marketing leadership experience to Festival Foods. Before joining Brookshire in August 2018, she served nearly 14 years in a range of senior marketing leadership roles at Delhaize America and then at Ahold Delhaize USA. Atkinson joined Delhaize in 2004 as the executive marketing leader of the Bloom store banner. Shortly after, she was named to develop the brand strategy and lead the marketing, media and creative strategies for the discount banner Bottom Dollar Food as director of marketing and brand development from 2005 to 2014. Then in mid-2014, she was promoted to lead brand positioning, marketing, media strategy and creative execution for the 1,100-store Food Lion banner.

Related:Festival Foods hires Jeff Main to lead IT

“Leslie’s extensive knowledge of brand building and marketing will be vital to Festival Foods’ continued success, especially during this period of sustained growth,” stated Randy Munns, Festival Foods executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We are confident Leslie will be a tremendous asset and a great fit as a member of the Festival Foods leadership team.”

Munns was promoted to COO in January with the retirement of Mike Mesich, senior vice president of operations. Other executive appointments by Festival this year include Frank Abnet as senior vice president of store operations, Sean Sanders as vice president of center store, Joe Zink as vice president of center store merchandising, Ken Wicker as senior vice president of fresh foods, and Jeff Main as vice president of information technology.

Overall, family- and employee-owned Festival Foods operates 34 full-service supermarkets in Wisconsin and employs more than 7,500 full- and part-time associates.

Read more about:

Ahold Delhaize USA

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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