Big Y Appoints New President/CEO and COO
The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. has revealed that Charles L. D’Amour will become executive chairman of the board, while the roles of president and CEO will transition to Michael P. D’Amour, and those of EVP and COO will move to Richard D. Bossie. According to the independent grocer, “These changes reflect the next chapter in the company’s history as [it continues] to chart a path for growth, collaboration and innovation in the challenging and changing retail environment.”
As executive chairman, Charles will continue to provide oversight, strategic advice and board leadership as the transition gets underway. He will also continue to serve as a member of the real estate and development committee. Son of co-founder Gerald D’Amour, Charles became president in 2006 and CEO in 2019. From an early age, he took on various supermarket positions, including store director. After college and law school, Charles rejoined the company in 1978, holding such roles, including sales manager, VP of sales and marketing and COO, along with leading Big Y’s strategic direction and growth in real estate development.
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“For nearly 90 years, Big Y has been proud to honor the legacy of our founders, Paul and Gerry D’Amour, as a family company focused on our employees, our customers and the communities we serve,” noted Charles. “It’s been an honor to have been personally connected with our company and to have had the privilege of working alongside my father, uncle, cousin Donald and sister Claire. I have worked closely with Michael D’Amour [and] other members of our third generation of family members along with the rest of our leadership team, who are all well poised to lead our company and continue that legacy of service. I have the utmost trust and confidence in Michael and Rick to continue our company’s growth and success. With their appointment to these roles, I’m pleased that our Big Y board of directors holds them in the same highest regard and confidence.”
As president and CEO, Michael will guide Big Y’s overall direction and drive its strategic initiatives and growth while maintaining the company’s mission. He currently sits on the boards of FMI – The Food Industry Association and Topco Associates. A grandson of Paul D’Amour and son of Donald, Michael was appointed COO in 2019. After working in the supermarkets in various roles as a teenager, he embarked on a full-time grocer career in 1996. Michael has worked in all areas of the markets, including operations and as a store director, in addition to corporate areas ranging from buyer and category sales manager to VP of sales and marketing.
“I am extremely excited and humbled for the opportunity to continue to help serve and lead our wonderful company to many more years of growth in service to the communities in which we operate,” said Michael.
As EVP and COO, Bossie will oversee all operational areas of the company in partnership with the CEO. Bossie has more than 40 years of experience in the supermarket industry, starting out as a part-time service clerk. He joined Big Y in 1986 and has worked in all areas of store operations, including as store director and later as a district director until he became director of operations in 2010. In 2019, he was named SVP of retail operations and customer experience, in which role, along with his operations oversight, he led Big Y Express gas and convenience and Table & Vine fine wines and liquors locations, and led asset protection and continuous-improvement teams. Bossie serves on the board of Baystate Health, the largest integrated health care system in western Massachusetts.
“I am honored for this tremendous opportunity to work in partnership with Michael to drive innovation and enhance the development of our industry-leading teams,” said Bossie.
Among other recent executive moves at Big Y, the company’s board of directors named Christian P. D’Amour, another member of the company’s founding family, district director for 16 stores throughout Connecticut, reporting to VP of Supermarket Operations Nicole D’Amour Schneider.
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y Foods is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. It operates locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including supermarkets, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and Big Y Express gas and convenience locations, with more than 10,000 employees. The company is No. 72 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of North America’s top retailers of food and consumables.
