Suzy Monford Joins Andronico's as CEO
Suzy Monford, founder of Food Sport International, has joined San Leandro, Calif.-based Andronico’s Community Markets (ACM) as its new CEO. Monford takes on the role at ACM as the company looks to continue its resurgence as an innovator in the San Francisco Bay Area specialty food retail.
Monford, who is recognized for her ability to innovate across key global growth markets including grocery, lifestyle retailing and health/fitness, most recently held the role of head of innovation for Woolworth’s, the largest retailer in Asia Pacific, where she led strategic change and international joint ventures.
Previously, she founded Food Sport International, working with Coles Supermarkets in Australia as her primary client. Other clients include Cheers Inc., a restaurant corporation in Texas, where she served as CEO/president. A certified health coach, Monford has served on the executive board of directors for both the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and the YMCA, and actively teaches fitness and health in her community.
“At Andronico’s, one of our core merchant principles is to build healthy communities while we build our business," said Monford, noting her belief "that you can do well, by doing good. To that end, I’ll be introducing a new innovative approach to health and wellness that is a major departure from the role that the supermarket industry has traditionally played."
Monford continued, "Fitness – in all aspects from kitchen to shopping to cooking to dining – will be the way ACM delivers on its promise to advocate for community and our own corporate health." Moreoever, she pledged that the five-store, East San Francisco Bay-area grocer, "will pioneer recipes for fit living for our shoppers and teammates."
Monford’s plans include innovating store formats with eventual store expansion and embracing and utilizing the latest technology available in the grocery industry to drive value, convenience and to energize the shopping experience. To that end, ACM recently launched an e-commerce food store specializing in local and specialty foods of the Bay Area.
“We may be a small company, but we’ll be brilliant with data and digital,” Monford added. "We’re going to marry traditional brick and mortar mercantile, with best of class tech in order to create a relevant shop for today.”
Monford plans to develop new products and concepts throughout Andronico’s stores that will redefine value and serve each store’s diverse community. Chief among her priorities include an emphasis on speed and convenience, including bringing on new delivery App Instacart throughout the chain by mid-summer, and developing a new fitness and health-centric shopping portal for customers and teammates.
Andronico’s Community Markets, a privately-owned grocery retailer offering a full range of specialty, organic and conventional groceries, has stores in Berkeley, San Francisco, San Anselmo and Los Altos.