The app-based marketplace Flashfood, which helps retailers cut down on food waste and move discounted food nearing its best-by date, has a new board member. The company announced the appointment of Jordan Schenck as a director, joining the four other members: Josh Domingues, Rob Gierkink, James McCann and Chuck Templeton.

[Read more: "Flashfood Hits Milestone of 50M+ Pounds of Food Diverted From Landfills"]

Co-founder and chief revenue officer of Sunwink, Schenck has led that company to become one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink beverage makers on the market. Her experience also includes a role as head of consumer marketing for Impossible Foods, where she launched the company’s product into foodservice chains including Burger King. She was included on Forbes’ 2021 list of the “Most Innovative Chief Marketing Officers.”

"With an extensive career in the food and retail industry, Jordan brings strategic depth to our board in her ability to scale visionary consumer brands with a purpose," said Domingues, founder and CEO at Toronto-based Flashfood. "Right now, we are at a critical juncture for growth across North America and having Jordan's oversight and guidance positions us to deliver on our vision to expand our presence, multiply our food waste impact, and offer grocery savings to more shoppers."

Schenck said she is looking forward to making a difference at Flashfood as it rapidly expands its presence. "I am passionate about mission-driven companies that deliver positive impacts for people and our planet, and Flashfood is doing just that by tangibly reducing food waste and saving shoppers money," she remarked. "I am excited to be a part of Flashfood's growth journey as they expand and accelerate their impact."

Flashfood marketplaces are available in more than 1,450 grocery locations in the U.S. and Canada. 

Rewards app and consumer-engagement platform Fetch has added Neela Montgomery to its board of directors. A seasoned technology leader, Montgomery holds a proven track record of scaling digital consumer-facing ventures, particularly in the retail space.

"We are so pleased to welcome Neela Montgomery to Fetch's board," said Wes Schroll, founder and CEO of Madison, Wis.-based Fetch. "Her retail and consumer expertise will provide enormous value as Fetch continues as an industry leader in physical-world attribution through meaningful connections between consumers and the nation's most cherished brands."

[Read more: “Fetch Rewards Racks Up 5M+ Daily Active Users”]

Montgomery brings more than 20 years of experience in consumer leadership roles, focusing on digital acceleration, international expansion, building leadership teams, and fostering diverse and inclusive company cultures worldwide.

Her most recent role was president and EVP at CVS Health, leading the retail and pharmacy business during the rollout of COVID vaccines and boosters. Before that, Montgomery was CEO of global home furnishings retailer Crate & Barrel Holdings, overseeing the digital transformation of the heritage brand. Earlier in her career, she spent 12 years at British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer Tesco PLC in a host of leadership roles spanning strategy, international, merchandising, e-commerce and grocery operations functions.

Montgomery is currently a board partner at venture capital firm Greycroft Partners LLC, as well as on the public boards of global consumer technology company Logitech International S.A., and website-building and e-commerce platform Squarespace Inc.

"Fetch has built an engaging rewards experience that customers love," Montgomery said. "I am excited to join the team in this next phase of expansion as Fetch continues to partner with iconic brands and redefines loyalty and savings for millions of consumers."

With its CVS Pharmacy subsidiary operating almost 10,000 locations nationwide, Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health is No. 7 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. 

The Kraft Heinz Co. has procured its own leader as it seeks to transform its procurement organization. The company announced that Janelle Orozco has been hired as chief procurement officer, North America.

In this position, she will serve as a key member of the North American leadership team and shape the overall vision of the business’ procurement in the region. Orozco will leverage her related background, which includes her most recent role as chief procurement officer for alcoholic beverage company Diageo. She started at that organization as an ingredient buyer in 2002 and was consistently elevated through its procurement group.

[Read more: "Kraft Heinz Accelerates Plant-Based R&D With New Partnership"]

At Kraft Heinz, Orozco will report to both Carlos Abrams-Rivera, EVP and president, North America Zone, and Marcos Eloi, EVP and global chief procurement officer. 

“We are on a quest to create a renowned procurement function that is built to deliver consistent results today and become a competitive advantage for the business in the future,” remarked Abrams-Rivera. “Janelle joining our team is a marker of the transformation of this function. She brings a breadth of experience and knack for developing diverse, high-performing teams. We’re excited to have her help lead us into the next phase of our journey.”

Orozco is the latest senior leader to join Kraft Heinz, co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, as the business has taken steps to revamp its overall growth profile and strategic focus. Over the past two years, the company has added leaders in key areas like marketing, sales, insights, research and development, commercialization, human resources and communications.

The NGA Foundation, the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the Arlington, Va.-based National Grocers Association (NGA), has revealed that Missouri-based Dierbergs Markets will be the participating retailer in the organization’s 2023 Student Case Study Competition. 

Hosted annually by the foundation, the competition brings college students from across the U.S. to the NGA Show, where they will present solutions to an issue currently affecting the independent grocery industry. The program aims to further the professional development of college students pursuing degrees in food and retail programs and gives competing teams the opportunity to address a real-world issue currently affecting independent grocers. Participants progress through three rounds of judging from food industry professionals, with the winners and their schools receiving a cash prize.

“Dierbergs is honored to be a part of a program that’s focused on nurturing the next generation of leadership for our industry,” noted Erica Campbell, director of talent management for Dierbergs, which has 26 stores in the greater St. Louis area. “We look forward to the insights that this age group will bring to the table, as they reflect the thoughts of the emerging workforce as well as an increasingly important demographic of consumers.”

The 2023 competition topic is employee recruitment and retention. Student case study presentations will focus on creating a comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy for Dierbergs that provides the best combination of internal benefits with competitive corporate positioning.

Previous retailers that have been the subject of the competition include Woodman’s Food Markets, Karns Quality Foods and Buehler’s Fresh Foods.

The 2023 competition will take place during The NGA Show, scheduled for Feb. 26-28 at Caesars Forum Convention Center, in Las Vegas. Progressive Grocer will also celebrate its 12th annual Outstanding Independents Awards program during The NGA Show.

Retailer-owned cooperative Allegiance Retail Services LLC has added well-known New York supermarket chain Morton Williams as its latest member. Founded in 1952, Morton Williams Supermarkets is a family-owned and -operated food retailer with 16 stores in the New York metropolitan area.

“It is a great testament to the strength of our cooperative and product offerings that Morton Williams Supermarkets has chosen to join our membership,” said John T. Derderian, president and COO of Iselin, N.J.-based Allegiance. “Our cooperative with 126 stores provides exceptional national and local product lines; high-quality produce, seafood and meat; and an extensive private label line of conventional and organic items. Additionally, Allegiance is known for its unwavering professionalism, commitment and support of its independent grocers.”

“We are honored to join the Allegiance family,” noted Avi Kaner, a Morton Williams owner who has been unanimously elected to the co-op’s board of directors. “The level of dedication and support by the cooperative’s executives and other members has been stellar. We look forward to growing and enhancing our relationship with this wonderful organization.”

Morton Williams stores are located mainly in upscale Manhattan neighborhoods, focusing on high-quality, fresh and diverse produce offerings. Each supermarket is designed to reflect the needs of the local neighborhood surrounding it.

The chain joins Gristedes and D’Agostino’s – two other iconic New York supermarkets – as an Allegiance member, positioning the co-op as the leader in the Manhattan marketplace.

Allegiance supports independent supermarkets (Foodtown, Freshtown, D’Agostino, Gristedes, Pathmark, LaBella Marketplace, Brooklyn Harvest, Market Fresh, Big Deal Food Market, Green Way Markets and Shop n Bag) with marketing, advertising, technological and merchandising support, as well as a full line of private label products, including Foodtown, Green Way and Rancher’s Legend.

Publix Super Markets has been recognized by the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation as the best overall company on its list of 2022 Recycling Champions. Award winners are chosen from companies, organizations, government entities or individuals that display a noteworthy impact on the recycling industry in the Sunshine State.

The grocer is committed to recycling education, including a plastic bag recycling campaign to educate customers, and has an internal Green Routine program that encourages associates to make sustainable choices. Publix recycled more than 615 million pounds of cardboard and more than 21 million pounds of soft plastics in 2021.

[Read more: "Publix Wraps Up Choppy Q3"]

“Publix remains committed to being responsible citizens in our communities, which includes caring for the environment,” said Publix Director of Environmental and Sustainability Programs Michael Hewett. “We continuously examine processes in our stores, warehouses and offices, looking for additional ways to recycle.”

Employee-owned and -operated Publix has close to 1,300 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Publix is No. 12 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.