FMI Celebrates the Food Industry’s Legacy with the 2025 Executive Leadership Awards

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said, “The Executive Leadership Award winners are being deservedly celebrated for their unwavering commitment to excellence, collaboration and mentoring the next generation of food industry professionals, setting a benchmark for all of us. These leaders have earned the respect and admiration of their peers by demonstrating extraordinary vision and resilience in navigating today’s dynamic marketplace.”

The following eight award recipients are those who have made especially impactful contributions to the success of the food industry:

Tobias Wasmuht leads SPAR International, the world’s largest food retail voluntary organization. Since joining SPAR in 2000, he has driven its global growth across four continents and 48 countries, including launching SPAR in China in 2004. Under his leadership as CEO since 2016, SPAR has expanded to more than 13,900 stores with global sales exceeding €41 billion, guided by the “Better Together” strategy.  Tobias also serves on the boards of FMI – The Food Industry Association, Independent Retail Europe, and the Global Consumer Goods Forum contributing to the advancements of independent food retailers internationally.

James Harris, a 21-year H-E-B Partner, leads the company’s diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity programs. In his role, he sets strategic direction, develops policy, and works to support local, veteran, and diverse businesses, connecting them with the company’s procurement and sourcing process. His work drives H-E-B’s longstanding commitment to these efforts and its Be the Change initiative, the retailer’s continuing mission to be a leading employer, retailer, and community partner. Harris serves on boards for the Texas Diversity Council and NAACP Foundation and has earned honors such as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Award. A graduate of Alcorn State University, he combines strategic expertise with a passion to inspire meaningful change.  

Will McIntee, Former Director of Strategic Engagement, Office of Public Engagement, The White House 

Will McIntee is the former Director of Strategic Engagement in the Biden White House’s Office of Public Engagement, where he focused on rural, agriculture, food, and nutrition issues. He played a key role in the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and has led engagement around implementation of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Previously, he served as National Rural Engagement Director for the Biden-Harris campaign and worked at the Department of the Interior during the Obama-Biden Administration. A Waterloo, Iowa native and Loras College graduate, McIntee is a passionate advocate for healthier communities, putting an end to hunger, and supporting all who work to produce our food.

Denny Belcastro leads strategic retailer partnerships and mentors future industry leaders at Kimberly-Clark. With more than 40 years in the food industry, he has held leadership roles at Hillshire Brands, Kraft Foods, Nabisco, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, where he initiated the FMI/GMA Trading Partner Alliance. Denny also serves as an active member of FMI’s Industry Collaboration Council. A native of Aliquippa, PA, Belcastro earned a business communication degree from Edinboro University and an executive MBA from Northwestern University.

Colleen Wegman is the fourth-generation leader of Wegmans Food Markets, a 109-year-old company ranked the 39th largest U.S. supermarket chain. Since joining in 1991, she has led initiatives like the “Food You Feel Good About” product line, Nature’s Marketplace, ecommerce strategy, and merchandising operations. Wegman chaired the United Way of Greater Rochester’s 2010 campaign, served as board chair from 2013 to 2017, and sits on FMI’s board of directors, advising the association’s health and well-being, industry relations and food safety committees. Additionally, Wegman has served on the FMI board since 2014. She holds a sociology degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Rochester. 

Omar Jorge is the CEO of Compare Foods and former chairman of Aurora Grocery Group, is a dedicated advocate for supermarkets as vital community hubs, comparable to churches or schools. Raised in the grocery business, Jorge joined Compare Foods in 2009, growing the company’s presence to 45 stores nationwide, including 26 in North Carolina, strategically placing stores in underserved neighborhoods to address food insecurity. Specializing in Latino products and fresh meats and produce, Compare Foods caters to diverse cultures while expanding its appeal to broader audiences. Passionate about community engagement, Jorge combines tradition with innovation, using social media and technology to connect with customers and promote international flavors.  

Joseph Colalillo is a second-generation grocer and president of ShopRite of Hunterdon County, a family-owned business operating five ShopRite stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with 1,300 associates. His family joined Wakefern Food Corp., the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative in 1954, and Colalillo served as its chairman and CEO from 2005 – 2023. A respected leader in the supermarket industry, Colalillo has been recognized for his commitment to serving customers, helping associates excel, and supporting the community through his family’s work with local food pantries and hunger-fighting initiatives, including ShopRite Partners In Caring. ShopRite of Hunterdon County also sponsors the annual Run for Hunger 5k, which has raised nearly $700,000 for Norwescap's Food Bank, and supports organizations such as America's Grow-A-Row. In 2016, Colalillo received the Robert B. Wegman Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and in 2005, he was honored with the New Jersey Food Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hank Meijer, Executive Chairman, Meijer, Inc.