2025 Private Label Hall of Fame: Michelle Helena Denk of Affinity Group
Nine leaders from the private label world are the newest members of the Private Label Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies were held during the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Members of the Class of 2025 are a combination of leaders with a history of growing store brand products, along with those who continue to impact the current-day marketplace.
Created in 2006 to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private brand industry, this year’s event featured retail and product supplier honorees in three categories: Lifetime Achievement, Private Brand Champion, and Private Brand Innovator.
“Our nine-member Class of 2025 represents the best-of-the-best thought leaders and changemakers,” said Peggy Davies, president of PLMA. “Their commitment and dedication to private label is an inspiration to all.”
Michelle Helena Denk
Director, Retail Division
Affinity Group
Michelle Helena Denk has been described by colleagues as a force of nature in private label innovation, who say she is driven, creative, and relentlessly committed to delivering best-in-class solutions for her retail partners.
As director of the Retail Division at Affinity Group, Denk brings a “go after it and stick to it” mentality to every challenge she takes on, and nowhere is that more evident than in her work with Giant Eagle.
“I have always enjoyed working across organizations to connect ideas and people,” said Denk. “I look back fondly on a milestone from my employment at Giant Eagle within its Own Brands department, during which we launched the range called Laurenti Mediterranean Specialty Foods.”
The new assortment, according to Denk, was a foray into ultra-premium quality in categories such as imported olive oil, bronze-die pasta, sauces, and tapenades.
She was also lauded by colleagues for her work in giving the frozen pizza segment a boost. Recognizing a gap, Denk envisioned something beyond the standard fare of cheese, pepperoni, and veggie options. She saw an opportunity to elevate the category with premium, trend-forward offerings, something that aligned with Giant Eagle’s Market District brand and its commitment to quality and innovation.
To bring this vision to life, Denk collaborated with Connie’s, a manufacturer of high-end pizza and flatbread products. There, she met with the owner and R&D team to craft unique recipes that would help Giant Eagle stand out and lead in the frozen aisle. The result? A first-to-market line of premium flatbread pizzas under the Market District private label brand, which featured chef-inspired flavors. The lineup includes BBQ Chicken Sicilian Flatbread, Pesto Margherita, Pepperoni Mozzarella, Philly Steak & Cheese, and Meatball Ricotta. Denk also helped launch a traditional Chicago Deep Dish Sausage pizza, further expanding the brand’s reach and appeal.
Bringing high-end products to markets has been a factor in changing the consumer perception of private label products, and Denk believes that trust in product quality has been built over time.
“Much of this evolution is attributed to the caution taken by any given retailer to launch an item bearing their precious brand name,” she said. “We must exhort our teams to know the needs and desires of retailers and consumers and to keep those guardrails in mind for designing items and promotion plans. Consumers trust private label because teams of own brands developers over the past few decades have ensured that the items they’ve allowed to flow through their pipelines are perfected for consumers who are shrewdly evaluating product benefits.”