AFS Makes Notable Promotions to Support Company Growth Plan
Several weeks ago, the AFS Executive Team held high-level meetings to discuss and plan for Associated Food Stores’ near and long-term future. The group, representing every department in the company, spent significant time outlining strategies and objectives to put AFS in a position of strength for years to come.
As part of the vision for 2022 and beyond, the group outlined critical initiatives to move AFS forward. These include warehouse automation, centralized production, data analytics/shopper personalization, retail development, the continued growth of exclusive brands and a few others.
To support these efforts, several key positions and assignments were established. Mindy Rich, who has previously served as the director of center store has been promoted to vice president of data analytics and consumer insights. In her new role, Mindy will lead the company’s efforts to identify and utilize data to better understand shopper needs. She will provide tools and insights that will help category management, rewards, marketing, and others to drive additional sales and shopper relevance.
To help with the continued growth of exclusive brands. Sarah Pettit, a marketing manager on the retail marketing and design team, is being reassigned to focus on exclusive brands marketing efforts. She will collaborate closely with Boyd Irving to promote and further develop exclusive brands such as Red Button Vintage Creamery, Beehive Bread & Pastry, Barrel & Branch and others.
Another significant announcement is the promotion of Javier Tapia to the director over retail counselors. Javier has served as lead for the retail counselor team. One of Javier’s primary responsibilities will be the continued development and execution of the “New Vistas” program. New Vistas is a retail innovation process with the potential to make incredibly positive impacts across the organization for years to come. The retail councilors have and will continue playing a key role in helping retailers grow their businesses.
“We are excited about each of these moves and the potential growth for AFS,” said Roger White, executive vice president, sales and wholesale operations. “These team members bring a wealth of experience, phenomenal leadership skills and a tremendous commitment to the success of our member retailers.”