PG's Top Women In Grocery Event Draws Record Crowd

Kroger's Marmer honored as first-ever 'Trailblazer.'

More than 100 of Progressive Grocer's 2012 Top Women in Grocery winners were on hand at the sold-out 2012 Top Women in Grocery gala event, held Thursday, Nov. 8 at the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill., where they each accepted their engraved awards before a crowd of 300 industry luminaries, special guests and family members, all of whom came from all over the country to celebrate with the event's recognized guests of honor.

Lynn Marmer, group VP, corporate affairs for The Kroger Co. in Cincinnati, was also honored during the event as the first-ever recipient of the prestigious Trailblazer Award from Progressive Grocer and the Network of Executive Women (NEW). The newly created Trailblazer Award was initiated this year by PG and NEW to pay tribute to a single food industry executive whose leadership, vision and influence have had profound impacts on breaking new ground for women in the retail food industry.

"As The Kroger Co.'s first female officer, Lynn Marmer has been a true architect of change in the food industry and is overwhelmingly deserving of this very special award of recognition from PG and NEW," said PG Editorial Director Meg Major. "In appreciation and well-deserved acknowledgment of her tireless efforts to advance women through the ranks at the nation's leading supermarket chain, coupled with her commitment to advancing worthwhile causes on behalf of the company and the many local communities it serves, we are both pleased and very proud to honor Lynn Marmer as our first-ever Top Woman Trailblazer."

A staunch supporter of PG's Top Women in Grocery awards program since its inception, as well as a vigorous advocate of NEW's mission and programs to develop women leaders, Marmer became Kroger's first female corporate officer when appointed to her current position of group VP, corporate affairs in 1998. A member of the leading food retailer's executive management team, Marmer oversees the chain's corporate sustainability, external communications, social responsibility, media relations, government, community and consumer affairs, and corporate contributions on behalf of The Kroger Foundation. Having joined Kroger in 1997 as a senior attorney in the legal department, Marmer is the executive sponsor of Kroger's women's associate resource group, EDGE: Engage, Develop, Grow and Empower.

PG's 2012 Top Women in Grocery awards program marked the sixth year of recognition for the invaluable contributions of women from all walks of the retail food industry in three categories: Senior-Level Executives (open to retailers, suppliers and wholesalers with the title of VP or higher); Rising Stars (retailers, suppliers and wholesalers with job titles above store manager, but below VP); and Store Managers.

Keynote speaker and past Top Women in Grocery winner Regenia D. Stein, VP of business performance, industry development & communication at Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods — a recognized leader in advancing diversity and fostering an inclusive corporate culture — then provided an enlightening overview on the important role of mentoring, particularly in regard to women.

Event Sponsors

Platinum: Kraft Foods

Gold: Pfizer Consumer Healthcare

After-dinner Dessert Party: NJoy and Legendary Baking

Supporting: Legendary Baking, Mariani, Northwest Natural Products and PepsiCo

Additional photos from the event and information about the 2013 Top Women in Grocery awards program can be found at www.progressivegrocer.com/page-top-women-in-grocery-96.html.

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