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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
This Amazon division may be planning major leadership changes
Amazon 's grocery division, which is now led by Jason Buechel , is reportedly planning major leadership changes , including a reorganisation of Whole Foods. This marks the first significant restructuring under Buechel, who recently began overseeing Amazon's entire grocery business . According to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider (BI), Buechel has assembled a new leadership team. This team combines experienced executives from both Whole Foods and Amazon. Buechel, who became Whole Foods' CEO in 2022 and was promoted to head Amazon's full grocery operations in January, now aims for a deeper integration of Whole Foods with the e-commerce giant's platform. The memo suggests that these changes are necessary to accelerate the growth of Amazon's grocery business. This move comes nearly eight years after Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. What Amazon grocery chief Jason Buechel said in the memo 'Too frequently, we are duplicating efforts and missing easy opportunities for efficiency. We have a big opportunity to work smarter across teams and simplify how we approach shared needs,' Buechel wrote in the memo seen by BI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The new leadership structure is organised into seven core business areas, covering technology, operations, and marketing. As per the memo, the appointments are: The new leadership team is split into 7 main business areas, including technology, operations, and marketing. Here's the full list, according to the memo: "Anand Varadarajan, VP of product and technology, will lead Worldwide Grocery Technology and Supply Chain Bill Jordan, Whole Foods EVP of Operations, will lead Worldwide Grocery Store Operations Christina Minardi, Whole Foods' EVP of Growth and Development, will lead Worldwide Grocery Real Estate Growth and Development Ganesh Rao, VP of Amazon Fresh International, will lead Amazon Fresh International and Grocery Partnerships Karen Christensen, Whole Foods' SVP of merchandising, will lead North America Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Whole Foods' chief merchandising and marketing officer, will lead Worldwide Grocery Marketing & Private Brands and Whole Foods Market Business Vishy Subramanian, VP of Amazon Grocery Logistics, will lead Amazon Grocery Logistics Astu Patel, senior manager of product and engineering, will be the Business Operations Manager Kim Wells, senior director of growth and innovation, will lead strategic retail initiatives Amy O'Hay, VP of PXT Worldwide Grocery Stores, will lead HR Heather Stern, Whole Foods SVP of legal affairs, will lead legal Keith Manbeck, VP of finance, will lead finance Kristen Kish, director of communications, will lead PR" Android 16 IS HERE! Live Notifications, Tablet Desktop Mode & MORE! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now About the Author TOI Tech Desk The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More End of Article by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links Recommended For You One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... 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Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Supermarket CEO issues stark warning about availability of popular products: 'We will not be able to source certain things'
The CEO of one of America's largest grocery chains has a stark warning for customers about the impact of climate change and extreme weather on the ability to buy some of your favorite foods. "We will hit certain points where we're not able to source certain things," said Jason Buechel, the CEO of Whole Foods and the VP of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, in an interview at the Food Tank Food Summit held at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Citing egg and dairy shortages over the holidays as an example, Buechel warned: "We're going to see that with more products within our grocery stores." Buechel said it's critical that customers understand what's happening to food supply chains as warming temperatures cause extreme weather events to become more intense and frequent. According to Bayer's 2024 Farmer Voice Survey, more than 60% reported "significant revenue loss" due to adverse weather over the past several years. "We have to bring some of these things to broader awareness so customers know these things are happening, which can tie back to climate change," he said. While access to products or increased prices are challenging for consumers, it impacts farmers even more. That hits close to home for Buechel, whose grandparents were dairy farmers. "Being a farmer isn't easy alone, but one weather event could affect the entire crop for their business for that year," he said. "Because of the volatility with climate events," he said some farmers are wondering, "Is it worth it?" When grocery stores do have a challenge sourcing products like berries, impacted by destructive flooding in Brazil last year, they are usually able to find that product from another country, "so customers don't feel the pain as much as farmers within our supply chain." But Buechel said that's not always going to be the case. What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food? Bought more than I could eat Went bad sooner than I expected Forgot it was in the fridge Didn't want leftovers Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. While customers may not see it in the stores, there's a lot happening behind the scenes at Whole Foods to address one of the biggest sources of emissions: food waste. "This for me is a personal passion project," Buechel said. "At the end of the day, it's actually rotting food in our landfills that's a bigger contributor of methane gas than cows. For us, [the question is,] 'How do we tackle that issue on all fronts?'" That includes: ◉ Partnering with their suppliers to ensure they aren't over-producing or over-ordering to line up supply and demand ◉ Making surplus products available to the food insecure through food donations in every metro area, and where necessary, turning extra food into animal feed◉ Offer customers discounts on food that may otherwise be heading to the landfill through partnerships with apps like Too Good To Go, a program Buechel says has diverted over 1 million pounds of food over the past year while offering a 50% discount on bakery and other items In the United States, food waste is estimated at 30-40% of the food supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Buechel also spoke about Whole Foods' mission to help people "eat healthier, have more delicious food, and do things better for the soil and the farmers." Its "Sourced for Good" program highlights products that are good for the environment, good for workers growing those products, and good for the community. Take bananas, for example, many of which are sourced from Earth University, an organization that seeks to improve the working conditions of banana farmers while also taking care of the environment. "Sharing those stories helps influence the decision around what customers are going to buy," he said. "As retailers … as storytellers, we have to figure out how to find the best ways to connect with this generation and harness the influence that they're going to have in creating the changes that we need in the industry," he said. "What I get excited about is that [the next generation] truly are making buying decisions in line with their values." Just as important as the products Whole Foods sells in stores, Buechel said, "It's actually the products and items that we don't sell, is what differentiates us," referring to over 500-plus banned ingredients the company doesn't offer because they don't meet standards. Buechel hopes Whole Foods can become a model for the industry. "Our goal is having a ripple effect. We want other folks to copy us," he said. "We constantly challenge our competitors: 'Join in.' We want to help protect our food systems and nourish people and the planet." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
NBC News
27-01-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Amazon taps Whole Foods CEO to oversee grocery business
Amazon has tapped Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to oversee its sprawling grocery business, the company announced Monday. Doug Herrington, the company's worldwide retail chief, wrote in a memo to employees posted to Amazon's site that Buechel will 'take on an expanded responsibility leading Worldwide Grocery Stores' while continuing to lead Whole Foods. Amazon acquired the upscale grocer for $13.7 billion in 2017. 'In his time as CEO, Jason has unlocked our ability to make high-quality natural and organic groceries more affordable and accessible to customers, helping WFM achieve record sales growth and expand to over 535 locations,' Herrington said. Buechel became CEO of Whole Foods in 2022 after co-founder John Mackey retired from the company. In his expanded role leading Amazon's grocery business, Buechel will succeed Tony Hoggett, who left Amazon last October to join Wondery, a food delivery startup led by serial entrepreneur Marc Lore. Buechel will oversee not only Whole Foods, but also Amazon's larger grocery business, which includes its line of Fresh supermarkets, Go cashierless stores and online grocery service. Amazon has long been determined to cement itself as a grocery destination for shoppers. Since acquiring Whole Foods, it has launched its own chain of Fresh supermarkets, and it's taken steps to unify its online and brick-and-mortar grocery operations while appealing to a broader swath of consumers. Herrington said he's 'incredibly energized' by the momentum of Amazon's grocery business. 'Since creating a single WW Grocery Stores organization in 2022, we have made notable progress in our vision to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable for customers,' Herrington wrote in the memo. 'We've taken steps to integrate our huge grocery selection across our broader logistics network, and create a more seamless experience for customers, especially Prime members. This work will continue under Jason's leadership.' The company has further tweaked its grocery division in recent years by shuttering some Fresh and Go stores as part of Jassy's broader cost-cutting efforts. Last April, Amazon said it would begin removing its pricey and elaborate cashierless checkout system from Fresh stores in the U.S. Instead, it has focused on selling the technology, called Just Walk Out, to third-party retailers. Amazon has also brought its Fresh and Whole Foods grocery businesses closer together since the 2017 acquisition. The company last October began piloting a new concept at one of its Whole Foods locations outside Philadelphia, where it attached an automated warehouse onto the store that lets Amazon shoppers purchase goods from brands not typically stocked at the organic grocer.
