Kerry Hechler to RDD
RDD Associates recently announced that Kerry Hechler has joined the company as a senior account and business development manager for Ahold. She will report to Chris Vuono.
Hechler has a long-time association working with Ahold, utilizing her account managements skills in the produce, meat and value-added departments. She also held various positions at the Boston Beer Company, starting as an account manager, Delaware, then a district manager for Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and South New Jersey, ending her career there as a regional sales manager for Pennsylvania, Delaware and South New Jersey. She was a key account manager for Vita Coco Water and lastly a national account manager for Country Fresh.
Hechler graduated from Villanova University.
Giant Company names John MacDonald VP/Marketing
The Giant Company announced last month that John MacDonald has been named vice president of marketing. MacDonald will report directly to John Ruane, president.
“John is a passionate and talented marketer, with a knack for building dynamic teams that deliver creative and strategic marketing initiatives to drive results,” said Ruane. “With his extensive knowledge of both our business and customers, I’m excited to see how John will elevate The Giant Company brand and deepen the relationships we have with our loyal customers.”
A veteran of the retail and healthcare industries with more than 30 years of experience, MacDonald first joined Carlisle, PA-based division of Ahold Delhaize USA in 2012 as director of marketing. Before his tenure with the company, MacDonald held a variety of roles at Ahold Financial Services and served as the vice president of marketing at its Landover, MD-based Giant Food division. Before returning to The Giant Company, MacDonald served as chief marketing officer for FreshDirect.
MacDonald earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Bloomsburg University and his MBA from Lebanon Valley College. He has completed executive education coursework at Harvard and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
He currently serves as a marketing adjunct professor at Penn State Harrisburg and has taught undergrad and graduate level courses at both Elizabethtown College and Lebanon Valley College.
Mark Bradford joins DMS Food Imports
DMS Food Imports last month announced that Mark Bradford has been appointed as its senior sales manager.
Bradford joins the Edgewater, MD-based importer of frozen, refrigerated and shelf stable food items from around the world from Cherry Central where he held the position of sales manager. He brings his experience in food sales to DMS to assist in the company’s continuing sales growth and is the first addition to its sales team.
“I am really energized to join such an entrepreneurial company like DMS” said Bradford, “I will be able to be more self-directed and creative than ever before in my previous sales efforts!”
“We needed to add a true sales pro to our management team and we believe that Mark answers that need,” said Jeff Landsman, VP-sales and co-owner of DMS Food Imports. “As a growing company our goal is to add valuable team members as well as people who represent our core values of quality, value and integrity! Mark fulfills those attributes and we hope he is the first of many in our sales team!”