MMR hosts a reception for mass retailing's elite executives

NEW YORK — Mass Market Retailers last week honored the outstanding executives who were identified by the publication as the industry’s Most Influential Women in 2019.

The awards presentation and reception drew retailer and supplier executives from across the food, drug and mass channels to a ballroom in lower Manhattan.

On hand to receive awards were the following executives:

• Margherita Cardello, divisional vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid
• Anita Elliott, senior vice president and chief accounting officer at Dollar General
• Kathleen Jaeger, senior vice president of pharmacy care at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and president of the NACDS Foundation
• Jessica Kazmaier, senior vice president and chief human resources officer
• Lisa Kinney, vice president of customer strategy and merchandising analytics at Albertsons Cos.
• Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president of pharmacy and retail operations at Rite Aid
• Kathy Reardon, senior vice president of human resources and chief people officer at Dollar General
• Laura Shaw, vice president for the office of transformation at Rite Aid
• Karen Staniforth, senior vice president, pharmacy
• Emily Taylor, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for nonconsumables at Dollar General
• Rhonda Taylor, executive vice president and general counsel at Dollar General

Walgreens pharmacy manager Alina Shamus also attended the reception, accepting the awards on behalf of the honorees from Walgreens Boots Alliance. They are: Lisa Badgley, senior vice president of operations, Ornella Barra, co-chief operating officer of WBA, Lauren Brindley, group vice president and general merchandise manager for beauty and personal care, Elena Kraus, senior vice president and general counsel, Gulden Mesara-Dogan, group vice president of communications, Helayna Minsk, group vice president of retail brands for Walgreens, and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, executive vice president and global human resources officer for WBA.

The reception was sponsored by Combe Inc., and Combe co-CEO Keech Combe Shetty spoke briefly about the value of having women as leaders in the retail and consumer packaged goods industries, and how companies can benefit from doing a better job of supporting women as they move up through the corporate ranks.

MMR recognized Mass Market Retailing’s Most Influential Women in its June 24 print edition. Also profiled in the issue were Monica Arnaudo of Ulta Beauty, Julie Barber of Walmart, Maly Bernstein of CVS Health, Dawn Block and Kelly Caruso of Target, Erin Condon of CVS, Mary Dillon of Ulta Beauty, Deb Fifles of Albertsons Cos., Andrea Harrison of CVS, Christina Hennington of Target, Ramiya Iyer Albertsons Cos., Melissa Kremer of Target, Sheila Laing of Hy-Vee, Catherine Lewenberg and Brenda Lord of CVS, Judith McKenna, Barbara Messing and Jody Pinson of Walmart, Janna Potts and Tammy Redpath of Target, Jessica Ringena of Hy-Vee, Jill Sando of Target, Judy Sansone of CVS, Leslie Sarasin of FMI, Karen Stuckey of Walmart, Cia Tucci of CVS, Donna Tweeten of Hy-Vee, Annie Walker, Latriece Watkins and Janey Whiteside of Walmart, and Kristin Williams of Hy-Vee.