Big Y Reveals Sales and Marketing Leadership Team Changes
The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. has made various changes to its sales and marketing leadership team. First, SVP of Sales and Marketing Guy W. McFarlane will retire on Sept. 1 after 46 years in the supermarket industry, 27 of them with Big Y.
“We are thankful for Guy’s leadership over the past 27 years,” noted Big Y EVP and COO Michael P. D’Amour. “His efforts have been a major force behind our evolution into our customers’ digital experience and enhanced loyalty programs, as well as the development of a strong sales and marketing team that have helped us to grow as a company. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
[Read more: “Big Y Appoints 3rd-Generation Leader to ESG Role”]
Michael R. Cormier will succeed McFarlane as SVP of sales and marketing, while Steven M. Nordstrom will take on the role of senior director of center store, David M. Placzek will become director of grocery and Scott P. Brackney will assume the role of director of Big Y brands and retail pricing.
Cormier has worked in the supermarket industry for the past 25 years after serving in the military and working in his family’s restaurant and construction businesses. At other supermarket retailers, he has held such roles as store manager, category sales manager in grocery, director of center store, VP of own brands and VP of center store. He also worked for two New England grocery wholesalers as a grocery category sales manager and as a senior director of customer development. Joining Big Y in 2019, he was appointed VP of center store by 2020. In his latest role, he will report to D’Amour. Cormier also serves on the United Natural Foods Inc. retailer advisory board and the operations team at Topco Associates. He lives in Southwick, Mass.
Bringing more than 30 years of experience in the grocery industry to his new role, Nordstrom started out at an independent specialty market, where he worked his way up to store manager. He joined Big Y in 1996 as an assistant grocery manager and later held other roles within the operations division, including store director, sales and merchandising mentor, and district director. In 2014, he transitioned to the sales and marketing department as a sales manager, and then a year later became director of frozen and dairy. By 2018, he had taken on the role of director of health and wellness, which included pharmacies. In 2020, he was named director of center store, with responsibility for the grocery, pharmacy and alcoholic beverage divisions. As senior director of center store, he will oversee all center store sales and marketing programs, including grocery, health and beauty care, general merchandise, frozen foods, and dairy. He will report to Cormier. Nordstrom and his family live in Southbridge, Mass.
As a newly appointed director of grocery, Placzek will oversee all grocery sales, marketing and merchandising, retail pricing, and space management initiatives within the grocery department and Table and Vine division. He began his career at Big Y more than 25 years ago as a part-time service clerk. Rising through the ranks, he became a full-time grocery clerk, grocery manager, center store development manager, and meat and seafood manager. By 2014, he had moved on to become a meat and seafood merchandiser, and then, a few years later, he assumed the role of center store category sales manager. In the latter position, he managed various categories, among them general merchandise, pet food and supplies, baking, and beverage. In 2022, he was promoted to senior category manager of grocery. He will now report to Nordstrom. Placzek and his wife live in Belchertown, Mass.
Brackney started at Big Y in 1996 as a part-time service clerk and later held several store-level roles, among them bakery, grocery and center store development manager, along with various special assignments. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management in 2002, he became a corporate category sales manager in 2009 for many departments, including nonfoods, grocery, health and wellness, and general merchandise. In 2019, he was promoted to manager of Big Y brands which include Big Y, Food Club, Crav’n Flavor, Full Circle Market Organics, Simply Done and Topcare labels. He will report to Cormier. Brackney and his family live in Ellington, Conn.
“We are fortunate to have these dedicated leaders ready to move into their new roles while poised to execute innovative and creative solutions across all areas of the company that will meet the evolving needs of our extraordinary consumers,” added D’Amour. “Together, we stand ready to support Mike, Steve, Dave and Scott as they grow into their new positions.”
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y Foods is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, operates locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including supermarkets, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and Big Y Express gas and convenience locations, with more than 10,000 employees. The company is No. 72 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of North America’s top retailers of food and consumables.
