Matt Adams is a Principal with Deloitte Consulting. He specializes in the retail sector, specifically supporting retailers with customer analytics and analytics-led transformations, including operating model transformation, digital marketing ecosystems, cloud adoption, process optimization, and strategic cost reduction. Matt also has extensive experience with growth and market entry, marketing strategy and personalization, and alignment of analytics and technology.
Adam Almond is a principal in the US Retail and Consumer Products industry at Deloitte Consulting LLP. He has more than 20 years of industry and consulting experience. Almond’s experience has centered on driving growth and scale through digital transformation across marketing, merchandising, pricing, supply chain, and product management functions. He has led numerous project teams in the successful design and launch of new categories with customer-centric and sustainable business models. He possesses deep expertise in unlocking digital capabilities and new insights across the highly perishable “fresh” food value chain. Almond actively serves on the boards of industry groups such as Food Industry Association and International Fresh Produce Association.
Bill has held numerous leadership positions, most recently serving as President of Supermarkets, overseeing supply chain operations, retail innovation, real estate and construction, retail operations, merchandising, independent retailing/non-banner, and culinary operations. He continues to push the organization toward next generation technology solutions that will enable a differentiated guest experience in stores and online.
Leo Feler is the Chief Economist at Numerator and a Senior Economist and Professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. At Numerator, Dr. Feler is responsible for thought leadership on economics and consumer behavior and publishes monthly reports on consumer price inflation, retail sales, consumer sentiment, and the labor market. At UCLA, Dr. Feler teaches courses on business forecasting and entry into emerging markets and prepares quarterly US economic forecasts. Previously, Dr. Feler advised the US government and private sector companies on mergers and antitrust litigation. Dr. Feler has also taught at Johns Hopkins University and worked as a consultant with Boston Consulting Group and the World Bank. Dr. Feler holds a PhD in economics from Brown University and degrees in economics and international policy from Stanford University.
Oscar Gonzalez is Co-President of Northgate Gonzalez Market, a family-owned supermarket chain that delivers authentic and fresh products to the Hispanic community in Southern California – and all foodies that love authentic Mexican food! Northgate has grown from its one store humble beginnings in 1980 to forty one stores and over 6,000 associates in 2019. The chain has opened four new Mercado stores – with an emphasis on fresh, prepared foods, and the excitement of an open air market! The company has also been successful in the creation of related businesses – in real estate development and property management, financial services, and urgent care centers.
Oscar is a graduate of the Pepperdine University Executive MBA program. He serves on the boards of FMI, the Western Association of Food Chains, and Homeboy Industries. He has also served on the board of Unified Grocers, as well as being on the Coca Cola Retailing Council. In addition, Oscar is active in the Young Presidents Organization.
In 2018 Oscar and family received the Robert B Wegman Award and The Stars & Stripes Good Scout Award in 2013.
Oscar lives in La Habra Heights, California with his wife Silvia and four children – Karla Teresa, Clarissa, Oscar Miguel, and Victoria Nicole. His personal life largely revolves around family activities associated with his immediate family.
Michael Hewett has over thirty years of experience in environmental management, including regulatory compliance and sustainability programs. Beginning his career with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Michael spent eight years developing rules and setting regulatory policy while partnering with the Federal EPA and various State and Local governments. The balance of Michael’s career has been spent helping corporations build strong environmental compliance programs and sustainable business strategies. Currently, Michael manages the Environmental and Sustainability departments for Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Michael has a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
Jennifer Mackey leads sustainability at Bunzl North America, a custom distribution company helping customers in the grocery, foodservice and retail segments to run their businesses safely and sustainably with packaging, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.
Customers are responding to consumer-driven trends and are increasingly requesting products which are more recyclable, reusable and climate friendly. The sustainability team provides them with expert advice relating to packaging trends and legislation, the data they need to report effectively and make informed decisions, and the solutions they need to meet their sustainability objectives.
Jennifer holds a Ph.D. from Penn State with a dissertation on the topic of international corporate sustainability and an MBA in finance from University of Stirling-United Kingdom. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for The Conference Board’s Sustainability Council for Growth and Innovation.
Sonia Punwani is the Chief Marketing Officer of Cargill’s North America Protein business, which is headquartered in Wichita, and services retail, foodservice and food manufacturing customers and feeds 90 million people around the world every day. Sonia and her team are responsible for marketing, innovation, category and customer analytics, consumer insights, and culinary across all proteins and channels.
Previously, Sonia was the Foodservice Marketing Director for Foodservice for Cargill’s North America Protein business. Sonia worked closely with the Cargill Foodservice sales leaders and Protein segment teams to drive profitable growth in the channel. She championed several capabilities across Marketing & Innovation, including the annual marketing planning process, marketing talent calibration and strategic innovation.
Sonia earlier served as the global commercial leader for bakery in Cargill’s Edible Oils business, leading the development of the 2025 global bakery strategy and playing a key role in the business transition to a more customer-driven model. She has also held a number of strategy, marketing, and operations leadership roles with General Mills, Post Consumer Brands and the Corporate Executive Board.
Sonia has a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Psychology) from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of Virginia-Darden School of Business. Sonia was born and raised in Mumbai, India and now resides in Medina, Minnesota, with her husband Tarun and son Mikhail.
Leslie G. Sarasin is the president and chief executive officer of FMI, the food industry association, which represents more than 1,500 member companies in the United States and around the world. Under Sarasin's leadership, FMI has become a forward focused and member centered organization committed to help supermarkets excel in their role of feeding families and enriching lives. Her synergistic style and determined spirit of collaboration has infused FMI with a renewed commitment to help its members address the critical industry issues of the day - food safety and the emerging importance of health and wellness. Prior to coming to FMI, Sarasin was president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute.
Rick Stein joined FMI in 2014, and is responsible for developing a portfolio of services and activities to assist members in formulating and executing their fresh food strategies. These categories include everything from – dairy, frozen, meat, poultry, seafood, and produce to service departments – deli, bakery and fresh prepared meals and related solutions for take-out or in-store dining.
Prior to joining FMI, Rick spent 35 + years in a wide range of retail grocery merchandising and marketing responsibilities. Most recently Stein was the Vice President of retail marketing & merchandising execution for Safeway Stores, Inc. Previously he held both divisional and corporate responsibilities in his tenure at Safeway in retail/store operations, category management, sales, marketing/merchandising, and strategy development. He has experience in virtually every facet of the retail food business and helped lead Safeway to achieve operational excellence and increased market share and revenues.Stein graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor of Arts in Behavioral and Social Sciences. He has earned continuing educations credits in marketing, merchandising and management, most recently with the Disney Institute. Rick serves on numerous nonprofit boards such as the MDA, Children’s Cancer Foundation and Easter Seals of DC/VA/MD.
Mike Stigers joined Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, on June 1, 2023, as its President. Mike brings with him five decades of food industry knowledge, having begun his career as a part-time courtesy clerk at Safeway in his home state of California.
Mike has a distinguished track record in both the retail and wholesale sides of the supermarket business, having held executive roles in both operations, merchandising, supply chain and fresh. Mike has experience on the vendor side having worked for BASS, Inc., a retail automation software company, and for Sterilox Fresh, a food safety company, as regional vice president.
Prior to joining Wakefern, Mike served as executive vice president of SuperValu’s Fresh division from 2019 to 2020 as well as being named CEO at Cub Foods. Cub Foods is a subsidiary of UNFI, the natural and organic food company headquartered in Rhode Island.
In 2011, Stigers joined SuperValu, as president of Shaw’s/Star Market grocery stores in New England. He went on to lead SUPERVALU’s northern wholesale region in Hopkins, MN in 2013, and was named president of CUB in March 2014. Two years later, he was promoted to executive vice president of SUPERVALU Wholesale and Supply Chain Services, serving three years in that role until SUPERVALU was purchased by UNFI in October 2018.
Kyle is a Managing Director with Deloitte Consulting LLP and leader of its Sustainability practice. He has provided consulting services associated with the complex energy, water, and waste management efforts of several Fortune 500 companies, resulting in more than $2 billion of combined value creation. Kyle also has significant information and analytics experience integrating waste, water, emissions, and energy data sources. Prior to Deloitte, he was the founder and CEO of ClearCarbon.