The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) will bestow its Hall of Achievement Award to Fred Morganthall, the retired EVP of Kroger and president of Harris Teeter, and Irene Rosenfeld, the retired chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International Inc.
GMA’s highest honor, the Hall of Achievement Award recognizes the service and extraordinary contributions of food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry leaders. The winners will accept their awards at the association’s Leadership Forum in August at The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Above and Beyond
“Fred Morganthall is one of the finest leaders this industry has ever seen,” said Chris Policinski, CEO of Arden Hills, Minn.-based Land O’Lakes and chairman of the GMA board of directors. “Fred’s no-nonsense approach and impeccable standards helped shape the retail and grocery manufacturing industry into what it is today. What’s more, his genuine care and concern for employees, colleagues and associates cannot be matched. In today’s business climate, it is difficult to put aside daily work challenges to look out for others – but Fred always went above and beyond to fight for his people. We are honored to present him with the Hall of Achievement Award.”
Morganthall began his career at Spartan Stores, in Grand Rapids, Mich. In 1986, he joined Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter as director of grocery merchandising, later holding the roles of VP of merchandising, VP of distribution, and VP of operations before being named president in 1997. Under his leadership, Harris Teeter excelled in customer service and in-store experience, leading to significant company growth.
After the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. acquired Harris Teeter in 2014, Morganthall continued at the merged company as VP and later as EVP. In the latter position, he oversaw all retail operations for both Kroger and Food 4 Less.
An active leader in the grocery manufacturing and retail industry, Morganthall was chairman of the Food Marketing Institute and in 2016 received that organization’s Sidney R. Rabb Award for his professional achievements.