2024 West Emerging Leaders

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The Shelby Report of the West

is pleased to honor...

Regional Manager/Category Manager

Over the past seven years, Brandon Baez has demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership and innovation, significantly contributing to Don Pancho’s success.

When Brandon joined the Don Pancho team as a sales associate managing the pre-fried chip category, the

Engagement

Allie Haskell exemplifies the essence of an emerging leader in the retail food industry.

Maya Mirt is known for her charismatic and motivational sales leadership style. She possesses an innate ability to inspire and energize her colleagues, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. She is

company’s sales were primarily regional in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, Brandon has guided the category to a national presence. The company had the need to add an additional production line for capacity. With that new line soon to be at capacity, it is now in need of another new production line.

Brandon has been instrumental in growing the retail pre-fried chip category by 533 percent during his first seven years at Don Pancho. He has achieved this success by working with retail partners, ensuring excellent communication and follow-through.

His dedication to building strong relationships with retail partners has been a key factor in the company’s

EMERGING LEADERS

Her unwavering dedication to customer service and her innovative approach to problem-solving make her a standout nominee.

Allie seeks new ways to enhance the shopping experience, utilizing cutting-edge technology to streamline processes and ensure customer satisfaction. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in her initiatives to create a welcoming environment for all

success. Brandon’s efforts have not only grown the category but also benefited retail partners, demonstrating his passion for products and partners.

Brandon continues to exemplify excellence in his current role. His leadership style fosters a collaborative and high-performing team environment, and his commitment to professional development has empowered many of his colleagues to reach their full potential. Brandon is a future leader for Don Pancho, with his innovative approach and unwavering dedication.

Brandon’s achievements are not only impressive in terms of numbers but also in the positive impact he has had on the company’s culture and growth trajectory.

customers and employees.

In her career, Allie has shown a remarkable ability to think outside the box, developing creative solutions that address the unique challenges of the retail sector. Her leadership qualities inspire those around her to strive for excellence, fostering a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement. Allie’s passion for her work is matched only by her dedication to her community.

approachable, empathetic and driven. She has a knack for turning challenges into opportunities and is relentless in her pursuit of success.

Beyond her professional achievements, Maya is committed to giving back to the community. She is an active mentor in NextUp, a women-in-business program, providing guidance and support to female professionals. She also gives her time to support and empower women through education and encouragement.

Maya’s vision for the future is to continue driving growth and innovation while nurturing the next generation of sales

leaders. She is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Maya deserves this award for her outstanding track record, coupled with her dedication to excellence and her commitment to mentoring others. Her strategic thinking, exceptional performance and unwavering integrity have set a new standard in the industry. Her influence extends far beyond the confines of her office. Maya’s leadership not only drives business success but also fosters a culture of empowerment and innovation.

2024 EMERGING LEADERS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Victoria Nunez

Victoria Nunez has accomplished so much. She has grown from a grocery manager to assistant store leader. She then was given the opportunity to become a field specialist, where she worked within several districts. Within a short amount of time, she got promoted to her current role. Her passion within the store has shown great results. She is doing a tremendous job. She has so much passion for what she does. That passion for her job and people is what produces results as a great leader. She is an inspiration to others.

Anabely Salas

Heritage Grocers Group

VP of Store Operations and Transformation-ELR

Anabely Salas has demonstrated exceptional leadership and operational expertise throughout her career. From 2010-18, she held various pivotal roles at Mi Pueblo/ Cardenas, including store administrator, front-end manager, bakery manager, assistant store director and store director. During this period, she played a crucial role in the successful transition of Mi Pueblo to Cardenas.

Megan Rodriguez

Grocery Outlet

To the great benefit of Grocery Outlet, Megan Rodriguez has grown her technical knowledge of complex refrigeration systems and regulations significantly in the past few years.

By leaning in on new technologies in retail refrigeration, she has supported the implementation of cutting-edge projects that push the industry toward a more sustainable future.

In 2019, she was appointed department director for Northern California, earning an award for her outstanding performance. Later that year, she became the first female district director, achieving the title of District of the Year in 2021 based on key performance indicators and significantly increasing sales.

In 2021, Anabely advanced to the role of senior director of operations support. By 2023, she had established the Continuous Improvement Department at HGG, as the senior director of continuous improvement. Her exemplary work led to her promotion to VP of continuous improvement in 2024, where she was accountable for frontend/store administration, workforce management, inventory and loss prevention, communication/operations support and business analytics.

She has developed an efficient team of eight to 40 members, providing services across three HGG banners. In addition, she managed the budgeting and allocation of direct store wages in excess of $300 million and achieved more than $5 million in synergies. Anabely’s initiatives in front-end efficiencies and standards, lane accountability, self-checkout best practices and CMKTS auto-scheduling have been instrumental in driving operational excellence. She also oversaw operations expense management, including supplies and travel and maintained the operations support KPI scorecard. In her current role, she continues to lead with innovation and strategic vision.

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