2025 Grocery Industry Icons & Innovators

Suzy Monford is the CEO of Food Sport International, a retail and grocery practice specializing in go-to-market strategies, merchandising, marketing and technology. Her executive roles include Heritage Grocers Group: CEO/Chairman, The Kroger Company: Group Vice President eCommerce-New Markets, Group Vice President of Fresh Food, and President of QFC Grocery;CEO of PCC Community Markets in Seattle;CEO of Andronico’s Community Markets in San Francisco;Woolworths Supermarkets, Australia: Head of Innovation, Coles Supermarkets, Australia: Renewal Stores/Deli/Bakery and Cheers Inc. Restaurants: CEO.

Recognized as transformational leader, Suzy’s experience spans: design and implementation of new grocery retailing concepts, in-store and on-line shopping experiences, and creation of go-to-market strategies that spark profitable growth and Customer share. She is a pioneer of modern retail technologies and a catalyst for creating/implementing end-to-end merchant solutions that enable Customer-centric assortment decisions from idea to shelf. She has worked on the forefront of emerging technologies that digitize stores, and that build the necessary infrastructure for merchants to manage assortment decisions, replenishment, macro-space planning, pricing and promotion, and thus she brings holistic expertise that synergizes deep functional knowledge, merchandising and innovation.

Suzy has twice been recruited to innovate retail and lead strategic change in Australia, first by Coles Supermarkets in 2009, and then by Woolworths Supermarkets in 2013 where she was the Head of Innovation. She began her retail career spending 10 years as an executive for H-E-B Central Market and H-E-B Grocery Company in Texas. She has consulted for Morrison’s in the United Kingdom, Loblaw in Canada, and worked to bring Australian CPG brands to market in the United States.

A highly-sought industry speaker, Suzy will speak at the upcoming FMI Fresh Forward conference and at Grocery Shop Tech. Suzy delivered the 2025 commencement address for The University of Texas at Austin School of Economics, and has delivered keynotes on behalf of FMI, RIS, Executive Women’s forum and others. Her industry achievements and recognition include: 2019 “Top Woman in Grocery”, 2016 “Top Woman in Retail Tech”/RIS, 2016 “Top Woman in Grocery”, and 2015 “Top 25 Technological Disruptors” by Super Market News.
She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, is a Certified Holistic Health Coach under the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and an internationally certified group exercise instructor.

Monford serves on the Boards of The University of Texas at Austin School of Economics, The Food Marketing Institutes “Grocery Lab”, Consumer Equity Partners, and Clean Harvest Farms. She has held Board positions with FMI, Seattle Food Lifeline, the Beecher’s Foundation/Sound Food Uprising, the California Grocer Association, and the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.