Wednesday, April 27, 2022 - Eastern Standard Time
*Note that this agenda is not 100% confirmed. Session times are subject to change based on speaker availability as we continue to flush out the agenda. Stay tuned to this page and your email for updates.
Welcome - Let's Network!
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
Welcome Remarks
11:00 AM - 11:05 AM
11:00 AM
11:05 AM
KEYNOTE: Consumer Attitudes Toward Private Label
11:05 AM - 11:35 AM
11:05 AM
11:35 AM
<p>Shelley Balanko, senior vice president, The Hartman Group, presents findings from the company’s Brand Ambition study such as how consumers perceive private brands, organics and more, and how they stack up against national brands. </p>
Shelley Balanko
Senior Vice President
The Hartman Group
Shelley Balanko has an informed understanding of social and cultural influences impacting the
food and beverage marketplace of today and tomorrow. As a member of The Hartman Group
leadership team, her focus is understanding industry challenges and needs. Shelley graduated
from the University of Windsor with a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology.
Networking Break
11:35 AM - 11:45 AM
11:35 AM
11:45 AM
Who's Buying Fresh?
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
11:45 AM
12:15 PM
<p>Grocers are thriving in produce, prepared foods and meals on the go, what are the consumer insights behind this cooking-at-home trend, as well as what they’re looking at with fresh produce such as transparency.</p>
Liz Tyler
Category Strategy Manager - Our Brands
Sprouts
Liz started her career in the grocery industry by doing an internship with Ornua Foods during college, and following up by joining Ornua and the Kerrygold brand for a full time position in the New England market. Upon leaving Ornua, she took a position with Amazon Fresh, where she spent 3 years working in a variety of Program and Product Management roles as Fresh developed their grocery assortment and rapidly expanded in both the US and globally. In her current role as a Category Strategy Manager-Our Brands at Sprouts, she manages the Sprouts’ private brands for the Deli and Bakery departments.
Networking Break
12:15 PM - 12:25 PM
12:15 PM
12:25 PM
ENCORE: Innovative Consumables
12:25 PM - 12:55 PM
12:25 PM
12:55 PM
<p><strong>Back by popular demand, view an encore showing of this session! </strong>Consumables sales grow when suppliers come out with new products and marketing programs. Join us as we investigate what is happening here across a broad range of consumable categories.</p>
Doug Baker
Vice President, Industry Relations
Food Industry Association
Doug Baker is a food retail industry relations vice president for FMI – The Food Industry Association where he facilitates professional, non-competitive collaboration among member communities across private brands, technology, and grocery resilience issue areas. In addition to his facilitation of the private brands leadership council and their efficiency-driven initiatives to encourage brand owner innovation, Doug also oversees FMIs Technology, Industry Collaboration and Crisis Response communities of practice. Prior to FMI, Doug began his career in the food retail industry in 1984 with Fry’s Food Stores. His 30+ years in food retail have included leadership roles at Fry’s (a division of Kroger), Kraft/Nabisco and Federated Group with focuses on retail operations, consumer packaged goods and private brand development and marketing.
Lisa Mirae
Senior Director of Own Brands Marketing
Albertsons
Lead diverse brand and content strategies for 11 unique Albertson’s Own brands through marketing, ecommerce, and loyalty. Successfully build creative content to address consumer attitudes and recessionary behaviors leveraging shopper insights, macro growth trends, and internal data science.
Angelo Campanella
Vice President of Channel Development
Club Coffee LLP
Angelo Campanella is the Vice President of Channel Development for Club Coffee. Angelo partners with his US customers to profitably grow their Private Brand coffee category through sustainability and innovation. Angelo has held leadership roles in Category Management, Global Sourcing and Supply chain with Topco, Sears Holdings and Medela Medical. Angelo is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Angelo holds a BA in Finance and Accounting from Loyola University of Chicago.
Aaron Fein
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Plata Wine Partners
Born and raised in New Jersey, Aaron came to the wine business after graduating from UNLV and 20 years in hospitality management. He began his wine journey with Barefoot Cellars helping lead the company to nearly 1M cases as National Sales Director and the eventual sale to EJ Gallo. Following this he worked with Constellation Brands, Kendall-Jackson, Purple Wine Company and Banfi Vintners in similar capacities. Now as Vice President of Sales & Marketing with Plata Wine Partners, Aaron brings his
extensive expertise in brand development and brand building to focus on own brands for both on and off premise national and regional accounts. Aaron and his wife Kym live in Petaluma with their daughter Sydney. He enjoys camping, golf, cycling, cooking and all the delicious fruits the wine industry offers.
Networking Break
12:55 PM - 1:05 PM
12:55 PM
1:05 PM
Reaching Younger Shoppers
1:05 PM - 1:35 PM
1:05 PM
1:35 PM
<p>Younger shoppers, such as Gen Z shoppers, have a growing bond with private brands, who are they and what are they looking for from retail private brands?</p>
Juan De Paoli
Vice President, Our Brands
Kroger
Juan joined Kroger in 2021 with more than 20 years' experience in building and growing world-class bands from product delevoplment through launch, crafting marketing strategies and merchadising for national brand and private label products across all food, household, pet and personal care categories. His most recent experience comes from Ahold Delhaize USA, where he served as senior vice president of Private Brands. Juan also spent 12 years at H-E-B in their Own Brand organization, where he held roles of increasing responsability. During his tenure with H-E-B, Juan led strategy, brand management, growth, product development and packaging for their Own Brands which drove record sales and share. He also has experience as vice president of Grocery, Frozen, Health & Beauty Care and General Merchandising with Topco Associates, LLC. and has worked for CPG partners such as Oscar Mayer Food Corportation and Procter & Gamble in Venezuela and Mexico.
Andrew Russick
VP, Sales & Marketing
Pacific Coast Producers
Andy began his career with Pacific Coast Producers in 1987, working his way up through various positions such as Logistics Coordinator in the Field Department, Sales Manager, Director of Sales, Vice President of Retail Sales, and now Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service.
In his spare time, Andy likes to travel and camp the world with his best friend Kathy Russick along with his daughters when possible and he also likes surfing, skiing, golfing and baseball. In his post-Food Business career, Andy plans to be a guitar hero or at least an infrequent contestant on open mic days in the local Sacramento coffee shops.
End of Day
1:35 PM - 1:35 PM
1:35 PM
1:35 PM
Want to join the speaker lineup for this event?
Contact John Schrei at jschrei@ensembleiq.com.