They are the Tops!

Store Brands and Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence (WISE) are pleased to announce the honorees in our second annual Top Women in Store Brands (TWISB) recognition program. The TWISB program was created to provide well-deserved recognition for women executives who have achieved exceptional success and bring a passion for store brands to their day-to-day activities. The categories cover five functional expertise areas, as well as two achievement areas not linked to a specific functional expertise area.*

We also selected one overachieving woman to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. With the exception of that award, the honors are based on the women’s accomplishments between January 2013 and April 2014.

The TWISB honorées will be recognized during the annual WISE meeting and luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, 111.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ruth O’Sullivan

Topco Associates

Ruth O’Sullivan, senior associate sourcing manager, center store for Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Topco Associates LLC, has more than three decades of experience in the food industry. She has been with Topco for 24 years, and previously worked for Shurfine Central and SGC/Pathmark.

Karey Lueder, national sales manager for Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Rema Foods, nominated O’Sullivan for the Lifetime Achievement Award, noting that she possesses “knowledge that few individuals have” when it comes to the world of private brands. O’Sullivan also understands when the time is right to launch new private brand products, minimizing vendor risk and maximizing vendor rewards.

Case in Point: About 10 years ago, O’Sullivan “begged” Berner Food & Beverage — Lueder’s former employer — to develop an upscale Alfredo sauce, recognizing a void in the market at the time. Within six months, Berner Foods had secured numerous member commitments and was doing significant volume on that newly developed program, Lueder says.

“Without Ruth’s urging, this product line may not have been developed,” she stresses.

O’Sullivan also is respected for her keen negotiation skills within all categories for which she is responsible, Lueder says, and is very fair in selecting vendors for Topco’s members.

“Topco members know that they can count on Ruth to deliver whatever it is they need,” she explains. “Her leadership has led to the personal growth and development of all that have worked with her, all of those that supply her products.”

Sales Award

Alicia LeHota

Tropical Nut & Fruit

In her 22 years with Urbancrest, Ohio-based Tropical Nut & Fruit Inc., Alicia LeHota has served in a number of roles, eventually working her way up to president of the company in 2004. Her primary goal as president is to grow sales, says nominator Chris Petersen, the company’s sales operation manager. And that’s exactly what she is doing.

“Alicia’s leadership skills have led our company’s growth in store brand sales, allowing opportunities to open up which had previously been non-existent or slow to ripen,” Petersen says. “The rapport Alicia has established in her relationships with retail buyers has had a direct impact, resulting in our most profitable year in store brand sales: The number of store brand items manufactured by Tropical Nut & Fruit increased by 60 percent from May 2013 to April 2014.”

Although Tropical still pursues branded efforts, LeHota has shifted much of the company’s retail focus to store brands.

“She has worked with other members of our sales team to leverage their relationships with buyers into new store brand opportunities,” Petersen says. “In the past year, our company increased the number of retail partners by 40 percent. The success Alicia has brought to Tropical’s store brand sales has directly influenced all of our sales team to look for more store branded opportunities where Tropical can create additional sales at store level, not just replace a current supplier.”

LeHota herself notes that the path to president in her company comes through sales and partnerships.

“I have been blessed to be able to create a team of people and customers that believe in us and what we stand for,” she says. “Our vision is to create and provide our partners products with integrity, vision and innovation.”

Innovation Award

Samantha Peskie

Bay Valley Foods

Samantha Peskie, R.D., is director of research and development for Bay Valley Foods LLC, a subsidiary of TreeHouse Foods Inc., Oak Brook, III. In her position, she oversees a team of scientists who develop products such as hot cereal, powdered and liquid drink mixes, single-serve beverages, and pasta-, potato- and rice-based dry dinners for retail and food-away-from-home accounts.

According to Peskie, the development work includes both national-brand-equivalency work and product innovation on the store brand front — covering everything from product creation and plant trials to product specification development and commercialization.

During the last year or so, Peskie “has played a significant role in the explosive growth of the single-serve beverage category for Bay Valley Foods,” says Daniel Donahue, Bay Valley Foods’ senior vice president, research and development, who nominated her for the award.

Peskie was responsible for innovation tied to Bay Valley Foods’ non-filtered single-serve beverage line, he explains. In addition, she was responsible for new product qualifications and factory acceptance testing.

“Samantha was the key company interface with customers during launch of new products and subsequent sell-in,” Donahue adds. “She developed quality and in-process programs as well. She was directly responsible for innovation and extensions of this [coffee] product line to single-serve … teas, fruit drinks and soups.”

Supply Chain/Procurement Award

Chelsea McCool

Daymon Worldwide

Chelsea McCool is global solutions manager for Daymon Worldwide Inc., Stamford, Conn., where she is responsible for understanding current sourcing needs, building sourcing infrastructure for the future and responding to global sourcing requests. In her eight years with Daymon Worldwide, McCool spent six and a half years in operations with three different retailer partners before transitioning to her current corporate role with the Omni Global Sourcing Division (OGSS) division in 2012, says Carolyn Knott, director of public relations for Daymon Worldwide and the person who nominated her for recognition.

“In her corporate role with OGSS, Chelsea consistently works to balance innovative thought leadership with her knowledge of operations,” Knott says. “She is very focused on building solutions that will concurrently work for the operations teams while challenging the status quo.”

During the past year, McCool focused on a number of important initiatives, she adds. For example, she led the effort to test a new global sourcing technology for six retailers in three continents — across six categories. The result? An average of six new sources of supply per project and recommendations for technology adjustments prior to a broader company launch.

After the pilot, McCool led the collection of feedback to identify existing corporate sourcing capabilities, Knott explains. Interviews across all business units and regions helped to pinpoint improvement opportunities that included resource silos, lack of consistent processes, operations confusion and differing regional needs.

“Her interpersonal savvy, influence without authority, communication skills and ability to manage and navigate change have helped her successfully complete projects and company initiatives in a matrix organization among top executives and junior associates across Daymon’s global operations,” she adds.

Marketing and Merchandising Award

Laura Sturdevant

Walgreen Co.

As director of private brands for Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co., Laura Sturdevant oversaw the development of Walgreens’ private label program “from its infancy into one of the largest premiere private label programs in the world,” says Peter Kroner, president of Oak Brook, III.-headquartered Marketing Concepts Group and the person who nominated Sturdevant for the honor.

“Through her guidance and innovation, Laura’s team continues to provide the Walgreens customer with quality private label product alternatives,” he says. “The growth of the private label programs — through various labels — over the last year has consistently been cited by Walgreens as a major vehicle of growth by management in their quarterly reports to Wall Street.”

Speaking of growth and Sturdevant’s accomplishments, at its 2014 annual shareholders meeting, Walgreens noted that it introduced 2,000 new private brand items in 2013 alone to meet growing demand for trusted retail brands. In addition, the retailer pointed to more opportunity in categories such as beauty and fresh foods as consumers continue to shop across all retail channels.

“She serves as a mentor and manager to her entire private label team,” Kroner says. “Laura fosters a passionate attitude toward the development and growth of private label at Walgreens.”

Although Sturdevant is transitioning into a new role — divisional merchandise manager of consumer electronics and front-end services for Walgreens — she notes that private brands will remain a significant part of the business and strategy for her new position.

R&D/QA Award

Cinda Stricklen

Sam’s Club

Cinda Stricklen, director of quality, consumables for Sam’s Club, Bentonville, Ark., aims to meet the quality expectations of Sam’s Club members – and works to ensure the company provides “legendary customer service” to those members. Among her primary responsibilities are managing the retailer’s supplier quality system, managing the member call center for quality-related contacts, managing the proprietary-brand program and educating private brand managers and buyers on the importance of quality in relation to both cost management and an improved member experience, notes nominator Andrea Dunigan, platform quality manager for Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods.

“Cinda’s skills include leadership experience and communication skills that facilitate her ability to establish a new quality culture at Sam’s Club to enhance the member experience and increase sales from increased volume of new private band items with exceptional quality,” she says. “Cinda has … experience in the food industry from both manufacturing and corporate environments that gives her a unique perspective on the private brands world and how to further develop and build a strong reputation for private brands.”

Before joining Sam’s Club, Stricklen served at ConAgra Foods as the key quality and food safety contact for retailers that include Sam’s Club, Walmart, Costco, Delhaize America and more, Dunigan says. There, she partnered with production facilities across multiple food categories, actively participating in continuous-improvement projects designed to eliminate quality complaints and ensure customer satisfaction.

In April, Stricklen accepted a position with Sam’s Club “to further her work to influence the world of store brand excellence through building a world-class private brand quality department,” Dunigan adds. She is active in a number of food safety/quality organizations – including the Ozark Food Processors Association, which she led as the association’s first female president.

Sparkplug Award

Dani Little

Whole Foods Market

As the Engine 2 program director for Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, Dani Little, R.D., is directly involved in development of the Engine 2 Plant-Strong food line offered by the retailer as an exclusive. She also supports in-store programs such as the Engine 2 Challenge — a 28-day diet makeover — by creating educational materials for Whole Foods’ team members and customers.

Mike Schall, managing director of Marietta, Ga.-based Schall Consulting Group, nominated Little for TWISB honors and notes that she “is well-versed in the Engine 2 lifestyle, which promotes plant-based eating, as well as acts for a catalyst for the brand” in Whole Foods Market stores. A founding member of the Engine 2 brand team — working closely with Rip Esselstyn, creator of the Engine 2 lifestyle and author of several books related to it — Little has worked on the brand for several years. Her responsibilities include product development, packaging design, recipe development and more.

“Dani is a leader, collaborator, team player and an all-around quality individual,” Schall says.

What’s more, her work with “Healthy Eating” team members, store team leaders and others associated with Whole Foods has helped build awareness and success for the brand, he notes.

“Her energy and knowledge allow many of the Whole Foods store team members to truly embrace healthy eating and a plant-based lifestyle,” Schall adds. “Dani’s nutrition background, tireless energy and spirit of giving make her an ideal candidate for the Sparkplug Award.”

*Megan Kokoska, director of e-commerce and marketing for Chesapeake, Va.-based Dollar Tree and the recipient of the Operations Award, is not profiled within this article.