Speakers

Adam Almond

Principal, Retail & Consumer Products, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Adam Almond is a principal in the US Retail and Consumer Products industry at Deloitte Consulting LLP. He has more than 20 years of industry and consulting experience. Almond’s experience has centered on driving growth and scale through digital transformation across marketing, merchandising, pricing, supply chain, and product management functions. He has led numerous project teams in the successful design and launch of new categories with customer-centric and sustainable business models. He possesses deep expertise in unlocking digital capabilities and new insights across the highly perishable “fresh” food value chain. Almond actively serves on the boards of industry groups such as Food Industry Association and International Fresh Produce Association.

Bill Artman

CEO, Giant Eagle

Bill Artman is CEO of Giant Eagle, Inc., one of the nation’s largest food, fuel, and pharmacy retailers with 470 retail locations, approximately 36,000 Team Members, and $11.4 billion in annual sales. 

Through his nearly 40 years of retail experience, Bill has built a vast understanding of the business and a trusted reputation for his leadership and integrity among Giant Eagle Team Members, guests, vendors and various business and community partners. He is known for his capabilities in business strategy, operations, retail innovation, supply chain, business expansion and growth, and guest and Team Member experience.  Bill is committed to making Giant Eagle, Giant Eagle Pharmacy, Market District, GetGo, and WetGo great places to work and shop, ensuring Giant Eagle remains a beloved household brand that maintains a strong connection to the communities in which it operations.  

Bill has held numerous leadership positions, most recently serving as President of Supermarkets, overseeing supply chain operations, retail innovation, real estate and construction, retail operations, merchandising, independent retailing/non-banner, and culinary operations. He continues to push the organization toward next generation technology solutions that will enable a differentiated guest experience in stores and online. 

Leo Feler

Chief Economist, Numerator

Leo Feler is the Chief Economist at Numerator and a Senior Economist and Professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. At Numerator, Dr. Feler is responsible for thought leadership on economics and consumer behavior and publishes monthly reports on consumer price inflation, retail sales, consumer sentiment, and the labor market. At UCLA, Dr. Feler teaches courses on business forecasting and entry into emerging markets and prepares quarterly US economic forecasts. Previously, Dr. Feler advised the US government and private sector companies on mergers and antitrust litigation. Dr. Feler has also taught at Johns Hopkins University and worked as a consultant with Boston Consulting Group and the World Bank. Dr. Feler holds a PhD in economics from Brown University and degrees in economics and international policy from Stanford University.

Oscar Gonzalez

Co-President, Northgate Gonzalez Market

Oscar Gonzalez is Co-President of Northgate Gonzalez Market, a family-owned supermarket chain that delivers authentic and fresh products to the Hispanic community in Southern California – and all foodies that love authentic Mexican food!  Northgate has grown from its one store humble beginnings in 1980 to forty one stores and over 6,000 associates in 2019.  The chain has opened four new Mercado stores – with an emphasis on fresh, prepared foods, and the excitement of an open air market!  The company has also been successful in the creation of related businesses – in real estate development and property management, financial services, and urgent care centers.

Oscar is a graduate of the Pepperdine University Executive MBA program.  He serves on the boards of FMI, the Western Association of Food Chains, and Homeboy Industries.  He has also served on the board of Unified Grocers, as well as being on the Coca Cola Retailing Council.  In addition, Oscar is active in the Young Presidents Organization.

In 2018 Oscar and family received the Robert B Wegman Award and The Stars & Stripes Good Scout Award in 2013.

Oscar lives in La Habra Heights, California with his wife Silvia and four children – Karla Teresa, Clarissa, Oscar Miguel, and Victoria Nicole. His personal life largely revolves around family activities associated with his immediate family.

 

Jonna Parker

Principal II, Fresh Foods Team Lead, Circana

Jonna has been an innovator in the fresh foods space for two decades driving the evolution of how the industry can use big data to unlock growth opportunities.  

She spearheaded development of Circana’s Integrated Fresh, the award-winning industry standard total food and beverage sales and shopper behavior. Jonna’s passion is to bring everything Circana can do to the Perimeter food/beverage departments in an accurate and affordable way. 

As a fresh foods market research expert, Jonna appears in consumer media such as CNN, NPR and SXSW and industry events such as IDDBA, International Fresh Produce Association and FMI Fresh Connect. In 2020 and 2023 she was named a “Top Woman in Grocery”. 

Sonia Punwani

Chief Marketing Officer, Cargill Protein North America

Sonia Punwani and her team are responsible for Marketing, Innovation, Category & Customer Analytics, Consumer Insights, and Culinary across all proteins and channels. Sonia earlier served as the global commercial leader for bakery in GEOS, leading the development of the 2025 global bakery strategy and playing a key role in the GEOS transition to a more customer-driven model. She has also held a number of strategy, marketing and operations leadership roles with General Mills, Post Consumer Brands and the Corporate Executive Board.

Leslie Sarasin

President and CEO, FMI

Leslie G. Sarasin is the president and chief executive officer of FMI, the food industry association, which represents more than 1,500 member companies in the United States and around the world. Under Sarasin's leadership, FMI has become a forward focused and member centered organization committed to help supermarkets excel in their role of feeding families and enriching lives. Her synergistic style and determined spirit of collaboration has infused FMI with a renewed commitment to help its members address the critical industry issues of the day - food safety and the emerging importance of health and wellness. Prior to coming to FMI, Sarasin was president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute.

Rick Stein

Vice President, Fresh Foods FMI

Rick Stein joined FMI in 2014, and is responsible for developing a portfolio of services and activities to assist members in formulating and executing their fresh food strategies.  These categories include everything from  – dairy, frozen, meat, poultry, seafood, and produce to service departments – deli, bakery and fresh prepared meals and related solutions for take-out or in-store dining.

Prior to joining FMI, Rick spent 35 + years in a wide range of retail grocery merchandising and marketing responsibilities.  Most recently Stein was the Vice President of retail marketing & merchandising execution for Safeway Stores, Inc.  Previously he held both divisional and corporate responsibilities in his tenure at Safeway in retail/store operations, category management, sales, marketing/merchandising, and strategy development. He has experience in virtually every facet of the retail food business and helped lead Safeway to achieve operational excellence and increased market share and revenues.Stein graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor of Arts in Behavioral and Social Sciences.  He has earned continuing educations credits in marketing, merchandising and management, most recently with the Disney Institute. Rick serves on numerous nonprofit boards such as the MDA, Children’s Cancer Foundation and Easter Seals of DC/VA/MD. 

Mike Stigers

President, Wakefern Food Corp.