Educational Sessions and Events
We’re excited to introduce new ways to provide you with industry insights through educational sessions featuring some of our key suppliers and other SpartanNash customers.
State of the Industry Address Wednesday, July 24 | noon EST
Tony Sarsam, SpartanNash CEO
As CEO of Fortune 400 grocery retailer and distributor SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN), Tony Sarsam leads 17,000 Associates serving food retailers in all 50 states as well as the U.S. military both domestically and abroad. Tony joined SpartanNash in 2020 and has since focused on building a strong People First culture as the company renews its commitment to growth, operational excellence, customer service and innovation.
With more than three decades of experience in the food industry, Tony has come to understand every side of the consumer-packaged goods business – from the plant floor to the C-suite. Before joining SpartanNash, Tony served as CEO of Borden Dairy Company and Ready Pac Foods. At Borden, he led the company through a major corporate restructuring and subsequent sale that preserved employment for all frontline Associates during a time of significant industry consolidation. His leadership at Ready Pac helped the company grow by more than 60% and establish a dominant 80% share of the complete meal salad category. Tony’s success at Ready Pac attracted great interest and culminated in the sale of the business to Bonduelle in 2017.
Prior to leading Ready Pac, Tony was President of the Nestlé USA Direct Store Delivery Company, where he created and led the world’s largest frozen direct store delivery network, serving Nestlé frozen pizza and ice cream businesses. He has also served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Operations at Dreyer’s, which was acquired by Nestlé. Tony began his career at PepsiCo, where he started as an Associate Engineer and progressed through a series of leadership roles, including Plant Manager, Director of Finance, Region Vice President for Sales and Distribution, and Group Vice President of Go to Market Strategy.
Tony is an independent director for Mission Produce, Inc. and serves on the board of four nonprofit organizations, including The Food Industry Association (FMI), The Right Place, West Michigan Policy Forum and Arizona State University Foundation.
He holds a Bachelor of Science, Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Management from Stanford. Tony resides in Grand Rapids, Mich. with his wife and children.
Vision Awards Tuesday, July 23 | 6 p.m. EST
Amy McClellan, SpartanNash Chief Customer Officer
Amy McClellan was named Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer in November 2023. She is responsible for driving sales growth in the wholesale segment and overseeing customer engagements for all national accounts, independent and chain grocers, e-commerce retailers, and the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency and military exchanges worldwide. She also oversees field merchandising, sales operations, customer service and value-added services to help SpartanNash customers succeed in the channel and communities they serve.
Amy previously served for two years as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing retail and distribution marketing, including insights and analytics, digital and eCommerce marketing, creative services, and OwnBrands strategies. She joined SpartanNash in 2019 when the Company acquired Martin’s Super Markets. Her passion for the grocery industry was sparked in high school when she was hired as a part-time cashier. During her 20 years with Martin’s, Amy worked in a variety of store operations roles and advanced to leadership positions in marketing, merchandising and operations.
She played a critical role in the SpartanNash acquisition of Martin’s, leading to her appointment as Division Vice President, Retail for SpartanNash. In March 2021, Amy was promoted to Vice President, Fresh Merchandising, overseeing the fresh product categories across 140+ company-operated stores and 2,100 independent customer locations.
She serves on the SpartanNash Foundation Board of Trustees and the Ohio-based Buehler’s Fresh Foods Board of Directors. She is a two-time Top Women in Grocery honoree (2018, 2020) and was recognized in 2019 as a NextGen 40 under 40 award winner by Progressive Grocer.
Amy earned her undergraduate degree in business marketing and advertising as well as her Master of Business Administration from Indiana University. In addition, she completed an executive certification program in strategic marketing management at the University of Chicago.
Impact Awards Tuesday, July 23 | 6 p.m. EST
Bennett Morgan, SpartanNash Chief Merchandising Officer
Bennett Morgan was named Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer in September 2023, leading fresh, center store and pharmacy merchandising, category management, pricing, promotions, and master data management.
He joined SpartanNash as Senior Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer in January 2022, having come from Amazon, where he helped launch its fast-growing, omnichannel grocery business, including opening its first physical grocery stores across the country. He served as Amazon Fresh Category Leader overseeing fresh and center store merchandising in different capacities over time.
Prior to Amazon, Bennett served as Vice President, Merchandising for Walmart China and Japan, managing all non-buying portions of the merchandising organization. His key focus areas included cost negotiations and advanced data-led capabilities in assortment, pricing and promotions. Bennett also spent several years of his career at H-E-B leading lean store operations, supply chain, manufacturing and merchandising efforts. Prior to H-E-B, he worked at Boston Consulting Group and Citibank.
He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and his Master of Business Administration from Dartmouth College.
Keynote Address Wednesday, July 24 | noon EST
John Foley
As lead solo pilot for the renowned Blue Angels flight team, John “Gucci” Foley soared among the elite, showcasing exceptional skills and leadership.
Now his keynotes inspire and equip leaders and their teams to dare to achieve elite performance in their own industries. Read more about John on his website.
Mainstage Educational Session:
Tech in the Industry, presented by Simbe Robotics
Wednesday, July 24 | 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. EST
Simbe’s market-leading Store Intelligence™ solutions increase retailer performance with unprecedented visibility and real-time insights. Cutting-edge AI and robotics power business-critical intelligence streamlines inventory management and store operations, while elevating store teams and shoppers’ experiences.
Simbe’s comprehensive platform includes the world’s first autonomous, item-scanning robot, Tally, which identifies exact product location, stock level, and pricing & promotion information with market-leading computer vision. Simbe works with top worldwide brands in the US, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.simberobotics.com.
Mainstage Educational Session:
Krafting a True Omnichannel Experience, presented by Kraft Heinz
Wednesday, July 24 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. EST
Formed in 2015 through the merger of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. and H.J. Heinz Holding Corporation, The Kraft Heinz Company is a globally trusted producer of high quality, great tasting, and nutritious food and beverages. Kraft Heinz is co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh. At the end of the 2022 fiscal year, Kraft Heinz operated 78 manufacturing and processing facilities, engaged approximately 5,550 ingredient and packaging suppliers, partnered with approximately 210 external manufacturers, and had approximately 37,000 employees around the world. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.
