Winn-Dixie Names New Marketing Head

Mary Kellmanson

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. has hired Mary Kellmanson to head up its marketing department as v.p. of marketing. In her new role, Kellmanson, who reports directly to chief merchandising and marketing officer Dan Portnoy, will oversee the day-to-day and strategic operations of the grocer's marketing, advertising, and communications efforts.

Kellmanson replaces the retiring Dave Henry, who had been Winn-Dixie's s.v.p. of marketing since 2001.

Before joining Winn-Dixie, Kellmanson spent nearly 15 years at Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets, where her most recent position was v.p. of advertising and marketing. At Wegmans she was responsible for branding, new store openings, market research, loyalty cards, and online and co-op programs. She additionally led the charge of moving and repositioning the brand toward lifestyle solutions that integrated initiatives involving media, messaging, staff training, and store product mix.

"[Kellmanson's] strong marketing background will serve our company well as we continue focusing our efforts on providing a fresh and local shopping experience to our customers every day," said Portnoy. "Her passion for the retail industry, coupled with her energy and leadership will drive us to delivering our promise of getting better all the time."

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Winn-Dixie operates 521 retail grocery locations, including over 400 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi.