Skogen’s Festival Foods announces Mesich retirement, leadership changes

Submitted to OnFocus – Festival Foods recently announced that Mike Mesich, senior vice president of operations, will retire Dec. 31. Mesich joined the company in 2006. During his tenure, he helped open 25 of Festival Foods’ 33 stores and led significant changes to the company’s labor management process, which increased productivity and lowered costs.
Mark Skogen, Festival Foods president and CEO, said Mesich’s 14 years leading the store operations team leave quite a legacy at Festival Foods.

“The industry experience and talent that Mike brought to the table was a key component in our ability to successfully grow over the past decade,” Skogen said. “His leadership of our store operations has been exceptional. His signature will remain embedded in our operations and culture.”

Mesich worked in grocery his entire working life. Prior to joining the Festival Foods team, he served the Copps Corporation for 26 years and spent three years as a business partner in three grocery stores located in Appleton, Kimberly and Shawano.

Festival Foods also announced the following leadership changes, effective Jan. 1, 2021:

• Randy Munns, senior vice president of marketing and merchandising, will be promoted to chief operating officer. He will lead operations in addition to continuing to lead fresh food departments, center store, marketing and merchandising.
• Filling the senior vice president of operations role upon Mesich’s retirement will be Frank Abnet, currently vice president of store operations.
• Sean Sanders, center store senior director, will be promoted to vice president of center store.
• Joe Zink, merchandising senior director, will be promoted to vice president of center store merchandising.

Founded in 1946 as Skogen’s IGA, Festival Foods is a Wisconsin family- and employee-owned grocer that is committed to giving back to the communities it serves and to providing guests with exceptional service and value. The company began operating as Festival Foods in 1990 and today employs more than 7,500 full- and part-time associates. The company currently operates 33 full-service supermarkets across the state of Wisconsin.

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