Whole Foods’ Alyssa Vescio Tapped to Lead Charitable Arm
Alyssa Vescio, known for her eye for products that resonate with shoppers as SVP of merchandising, center store, sourcing and product development for Whole Foods Market, is extending her vision to an additional cause. She was recently named president and chairperson of Whole Foods Market Foundation.
Vescio – a featured guest on the Top Women in Grocery (TWIG) podcast and a slated speaker at Progressive Grocer’s GroceryImpact event in November 2024 – will lead the Foundation in its mission to nourish people and the planet by helping to advance healthy food access, nutrition and economic opportunities in local and global communities. Since 2005, the charitable arm of Whole Foods Market has invested more than $167 million in local and global communities.
“I’m incredibly excited to step into the role of president and chairperson of Whole Foods Market Foundation. Having served as the SVP of merchandising, center store since 2020, I feel deeply connected to advancing our mission to enhance food access, nutrition, and economic opportunities worldwide; partnering with those who share our commitment to making a difference,” Vescio shared on a LinkedIn post. “My experience with our key initiatives — Whole Cities, Whole Kids, and Whole Planet — has not only prepared me for this leadership role but also deepened my passion for our cause.”
Vescio worked for nearly 20 years in merchandising before leading wellness and beauty categories at Whole Foods Market and, in November 2020, ascending to the SVP position. She earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a BA degree in communications studies from Hamline University.
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century. Whole Foods was also named one of the Top 10 Sustainable Grocers.
