H-E-B’s Boyan, Bristol Farms’ Davis, Festival Foods' Skogen Among 6 Feted by FMI

Craig Boyan, president of H-E-B; Kevin Davis, president and co-CEO of Bristol Farms; and Mark Skogen, president and CEO of Festival Foods, were among six grocery industry leaders who were honored with 2020 Executive Leadership Awards by FMI at its Midwinter Executive Conference in Phoenix over the weekend. 

Al Carey, former CEO (retired) of PepsiCo North America; Henry Johnson, president (retired) of W. Lee Flowers & Co.; and Natalie Menza-Crowe, director of health and wellness for Wakefern Food Corp., were also celebrated for elevating the food industry through their investments in talent and the customer and for transforming the business environment.

“The food industry is a people business; in our operations, there are three necessary virtues that make the food industry a noble enterprise: customer service, community support and an investment in people,” FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said during her opening remarks. “Each of our honored leaders possess these virtues and have established industry-influencing legacies of enriching the lives of those in the communities they serve.”

FMI celebrated each of the six individuals for excellence in trading partner collaboration, entrepreneurial enterprises, investments in the community and statesmanship at an invitation-only luncheon Jan. 25.

Boyan, recipient of FMI’s 2020 Glen P. Woodard Jr. Award for Public Affairs, has been a staunch proponent of H-E-B's involvement in the trade association’s annual Washington, D.C., fly-in, tackling important issues such as payments and tax reform with members of Congress so that they hear and understand the influence this industry wields.

Boyan’s passion for public affairs was instrumental in landing a historic victory for the grocery industry in 2019, FMI said. Under his leadership, FMI prevailed in a U.S. Supreme Court decision involving “confidential business data” with store-level sales data for individuals enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in the case that SNAP data was provided to the government “under an assurance of privacy” and that the release of such information would cause competitive harm to food retailers.

During his remarks, Boyan—who, in good humor, was referred to as an “alarm-bell ringer”—said it’s imperative “to stand up for what’s right for the industry,” while giving props to H-E-B’s legal team and external counsel that argued the case.

Boyan joined H-E-B in 2005 as chief strategic officer and was adviser to H-E-B for two years before joining the San Antonio-based retailer, which will be recognized by WGB in April as its Grocery Business of the Year.

Contributions to the industry, consumer and community made Davis of Bristol Farms a natural for the 2020 Sidney R. Rabb award, according to FMI's Sarasin, who praised Davis' commitment to education, community philanthropy and business sense.

Davis said, “True customer service is about the way you make shoppers feel when they come in your store— it’s experiential, not a list of offerings.” Sharing his belief “that without the people, the retail food industry is simply made up of buildings,” Davis said the onus is on industry leaders to do anything possible “to support employees with the right training and resources, so they can provide the best services to customers.”

Davis has guided Carson, Calif.-based Bristol Farms from three stores to a multiformatted specialty grocer operating 21 high-end, unique and successful stores. In 2016, he was awarded FMI’s Robert B. Wegman Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

As the 2020 Robert B. Wegman Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence recipient, Skogen of Festival Foods has tirelessly advocated for new and innovative in-store experiences to better serve the customers.

“There are more ways to interact with guests in the digital age, but it’s still about being good to people and meeting and exceeding their needs,” Skogen said.

Programs such as the 30-store regional retailer’s Mealtime Mentors leverage technology while retaining personal customer-concierge services to maintain and enhance shopper loyalty, FMI said.

De Pere, Wis.-based Festival Foods sponsors various community events each year, including the Festival Foods Turkey Trot, Festival Foods Fireworks, Food for Neighbors and Paw Away Hunger—all using imaginative ways to engage today’s shoppers and communities.

Skogen is a third-generation grocer who worked in a variety of positions across the company, including department manager and store director, before transitioning to president and CEO in 2006. In his remarks, Skogen thanked his “mom and dad, who showed me the ropes and made it fun. I wouldn’t be here without them or our team leaders and associates” on every rung of the ladder.

Carey, recipient of the William H. Albers Award, was CEO of PepsiCo North America, where he led the North America beverage and Frito-Lay North America snacks units.

Carey retired in March 2019. He was recognized for sparking collaboration between brands and retailers, as well as front-line associates that trickled directly down to the consumer.

“I’ve spent my whole career servicing customers and stores, and there’s no doubt these stores will have to change the way they service customers in this digital age,” Carey said. “Therefore, suppliers and retailers will have to collaborate more to reach today’s consumer.” Carey dedicated 38 years of his career to Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, which marked the end of a 40-year career in consumer-packaged goods that began at Procter & Gamble.

Johnson embedded his humanitarianism and passion for philanthropy in his leadership at Scranton, S.C.-based W. Lee Flowers & Co. “Our stores still follow a ‘hometown proud’ motto; we’re proud of where we live, we’re proud of the communities we’re in, and we want to make them better,” said Johnson, who was president for more than four decades and supported the Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Club, Harvest Hope Food Bank and numerous other organizations under his watch.

His leadership extends to serving in advisory roles for IGA Inc., Food Distributors International and FMI. Johnson’s leadership and service has been honored by several civic organizations through the years, including with the Boy Scouts of America’s Good Shepard Award and the Krause Award for Distinguished Service for Leadership and Ethics.

Menza-Crowe of Wakefern Food Corp., Keasbey, N.J., is a nationally recognized health and wellness expert. Renowned for creating dynamic programs that educate and inspire consumers and associates to embrace the importance of healthy eating and to make balanced nutritional decisions, Menza-Crowe said, “What’s most energizing being in food retail is that you’re truly helping people and changing lives.”

She oversees ShopRite’s retail dietitian program, encompassing about 110 stores and addressing the health and wellness needs of shoppers at the most crucial point in their purchasing decision—right in the aisles. Menza-Crowe joined ShopRite in 2005 as the company’s first corporate dietitian.