Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. announced that Joe Kelley has been appointed chief operating officer, effective May 4.

Kelley is a seasoned grocery industry executive whose career spans strategic leadership roles across retail operations, merchandising and supply chain in independently owned, private equity-backed and publicly traded companies. He began his career as a deli clerk in Boston and has since held senior leadership positions at several major U.S. grocery chains.

Most recently, Kelley served as senior vice president of retail divisions for Kroger, where he led 11 divisions across the

Naturipe Farms announced two leadership promotions and a key new hire within its Value Added Fresh division, reflecting the company’s continued investment in experienced leaders who can drive growth, innovation and customer partnerships across the berry category.

Joe Klick has been promoted to associate vice president of product management at Naturipe Farms. Klick has been with the company for more than 15 years and has held multiple leadership roles across product and category management.

In his new role, Klick will oversee product strategy and portfolio development across Naturipe’s berry

Wadih J. Khayat has joined Driscoll’s as chief financial officer. Reporting to Driscoll’s CEO Soren Bjorn, Khayat will oversee global finance, technology and strategy. He will work closely with regional and functional leaders to ensure disciplined capital deployment and the long-term success of the company’s global network of independent growers.

Khayat is a strategic finance executive and transformational change leader with deep global experience and a strong record of delivering results at scale. He joins Driscoll’s from The Coca-Cola Co., where he spent more than two decades leading major

The Raley’s Cos. announced the departure of President and CEO Keith Knopf and the appointment of owner and Chairman Mike Teel as CEO, a role he previously held prior to Knopf’s joining the company.

Alongside his return as CEO, Teel has promoted two experienced leaders to support the organization through this transition. Tiffanie Burkhalter has been appointed president and chief financial officer, and Jen Warner has been appointed president and chief operations officer of The Raley’s Cos.

“After 11 fulfilling years of service, I have reached a natural inflection point, and having achieved

Bay Baby Produce has hired Sarah Diamond as the company's sales and logistics coordinator.

Diamond joins Bay Baby Produce with over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and project management, including seven years in the produce industry. She brings a strong foundation in customer relationship management, produce expertise and delivers consistent value in fast-paced, ever-changing environments.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to join Bay Baby Produce because I enjoy working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment,” said Diamond. “I like being part of something that provides

FirstFruits is expanding its Michigan leadership team as the company continues building on the growth and opportunities created by its 2023 acquisition of Applewood Fresh. With recent expansions of growers and record crops, the supplier added a new general manager, Scott Morrison, and sales account manager, Mike Fuher, in the Michigan office. They will be joining recently promoted Senior Sales Account Manager Tristan Hauck.  

Starting in agriculture at age 12, Morrison has built a career spanning transportation, logistics, production, finance, forecasting and food safety within packinghouse