Davies named acting president of PLMA

Peggy Davies, vice president of association relations at the Private Label Manufacturers Association has been named acting president. She fills the position following the recent death of Brian Sharoff, an iconic figure who held the reins for nearly 40 years.

Davies had worked alongside Sharoff, who died May 23 after a brief illness, since 2016. 

“I’m honored and deeply grateful to the PLMA executive committee and board of directors for entrusting me with this tremendous responsibility, Davies said. “As we deal with Brian’s loss, we will best honor his decades-long legacy by carrying on his vision, which we have worked together to build on these last four years. I have been inspired by my close relationship with him for more than 25 years, and with our outstanding and dedicated staff, I am eager to carry forward the exceptional programs we created.”

In the upcoming June issue of Store Brands, the magazine will publish a tribute to the late Sharoff, hearing from staff, association members and friends of the industry.

For Davies, prior to working at the association, Davies was elected to the Board of Directors in the early 1990s where, for two terms, she either served on or chaired the programming, trade relations and communications committees. She was elected board chair from 2003 to 2004 and worked to expand the association’s commitment to education for industry executives. 

Outside of PLMA, Davies has three decades of private label industry experience in executive positions, including with Daymon, where she was involved in building the private label program at Wegmans Supermarkets in Rochester, N.Y. She also has worked on the manufacturer side, serving as vice president of private label sales for Comstock Michigan Fruit and Agrilink, which became Birds Eye Foods, and in the ingredients business with McCain Foods.

Notably, in 2012, Davies founded Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence, a nonprofit professional development organization that promotes diversity and inclusion in the store brand industry. Store Brands and WISE just launched nominations for its Top Women in Store Brands awards.