BGJ - Key Persons
Dominique Mikolajczak brings over 20 years of operational leadership, driving revenue and profitability in challenging environments, leading new market entry, business acquisition, and business development efforts for global retailers in Europe and North America. He has been praised by other business leaders as having a keen eye for uncovering new business opportunities and a natural capacity to understand, analyze, and assimilate complex concepts and translate them into a clear vision and strategy. An expert in wholesale distribution, scan-based trading, and international retail buying and merchandising, strategy development, and business acquisitions, he most recently served as President of beeline North America, a global retailer and distributor of textile accessories and custom jewelry. Mikolajczak not only established a formidable footprint in the U.S and Canada for beeline, but he also initiated and expanded its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to that, Dominique was Executive Vice President and member of the executive board of Orsay, a major European apparel retailer belonging to the Mulliez Group and worked with Géant Casino, a hypermarket chain. Both companies are headquartered in France.
Jim Wonderly has held a variety of senior management positions within the retail/wholesale industry, including 25 years at Ahold USA. He began his career in the wholesale industry as a GM/HBC category manager, before joining Tops Supermarkets as Director of GM/HBC. He then helped to found the American Sales Company (Ahold USA GM/HBC distribution organization) as Vice President of GM/HBC. He moved to Stop and Shop Supermarkets as Vice President of GM/HBC and then was promoted to Vice President of Pharmacy, before moving to Ahold USA as Vice President of Grocery Non Foods/Pet/Candy. He served a two-year term as Chairman of the Board for a major GM/HBC industry trade association (GMDC) and belonged to the GMDC Board of Directors, Educational Board, and GM Advisory Board. Jim has extensive experience in category management, contract negotiation, strategy development, financial analysis, private label development, procurement, and merchandising. While he was with Ahold, he participated in a number of global GM initiatives.
Jim Wonderly was awarded the MMR Seven Retailers that made a Difference in 2006.
Mark Panzer, a Former Chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (2018/19), began his retail career in the Midwest at Osco Drug stores over 40 years ago. He moved into roles in Regional Sales and Marketing and Regional Operations for the drug store chain, eventually serving as District Manager as well as Director, and subsequently, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing with American Drug Stores, which merged with Albertsons Inc. In 1999, Panzer was named Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the combined company. In 2001, Mark left Albertsons Inc. for Rite Aid as Executive Vice President of Store Operations, moving up to Senior Executive Vice President of Store Operations and, in 2005, was named Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. He accepted the position of President & CEO of Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Inc. in 2008 and returned to Albertsons Companies in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Pharmacy and Health & Wellness. In 2016, Panzer's role was expanded to include oversight of General Merchandise and Health & Beauty business.
Mark was awarded the DSN - Pharmacy Innovator of the Year (2018), MMR - Health & Wellness Merchant of the Year (2016), Vitamin Retailer - Retailer of the Year (2011), and the DSN - Operations Executive of the Year (2003).
He attended Loyola University Chicago obtaining an MBA in Finance.
brings more than 27 years of operational, business development, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) professional experience. He is the founder and managing partner of an M&A advisory firm, helping buyers and sellers in their complex transactions. Carter was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of TNG, a retail service and distribution giant, and one of the largest divisions of the Jim Pattison Group. Prior to that, he was President of Select Media, and then President of Select Merchandising, having founded both companies, gaining wholesale, retail distribution, and merchandising functional expertise.
Carter currently serves on the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) Retail Tomorrow Advisory board, and formerly served on the GMDC's General Merchandise Advisory board. He is an 8-year veteran member of Vistage, the largest CEO peer group in the world."
began his career with Giant Eagle Super Markets, becoming the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the GM/HBC Division and then Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing of the Phar-Mor Division. He then served as Executive Vice President at Thrifty Payless Drug and Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising at Genuardis Family Markets. Most recently, he was a senior executive at SUPERVALU, joining the company as Executive Vice President of Supply Chain Services for the Central Region and then moving to the Corporate Retail group as Vice President, GM/HBC and ultimately Group Vice President of Center Store Merchandising. Juliano currently sits on a public and private corporate board.
Rich Juliano was voted PLMA retailer of the year and 1997 and awarded the prestigious MMR Seven Retailers that made a Difference in 2008.
Rich is a seasoned retail executive with more than 40 years of experience in merchandising, procurement, and marketing, including 34 years with The Kroger Co. in roles across store operations, division management, and corporate. During his last 18 years with Kroger, Rich had corporate responsibility for Health and Beauty Care and Non-Food Merchandising (HBC/NF).
Rich is recognized in the industry as a collaborative leader whose expertise in driving retail strategy and execution; passion for partnering with suppliers to create mutual wins for the retailer, supplier, and customer; and unyielding focus on on-the-ground engagement with store associates and managers (including regular store tours) delivered strong results.
During his tenure as Senior Director of HBC/NF Merchandising, the company experienced unprecedented success, including 49 straight quarters of positive ID store sales growth and continuous market share gains. He played a key role in numerous successful initiatives, including Kroger's Personal Needs Reinvention (KPNR) of which there were three iterations during his tenure, Kroger's Baby Aisle Reinvention (KPNR), HBC/NF Pricing Strategies, Store Layouts, Collaborative Category Optimization (CCO), and the application of Customer Data and Insights into executable and successful strategies and tactics.
Steve Davis has over 45 years of professional experience with top Food and Drug companies including expertise in the Natural Products channel. Most recently Director of Center Store Grocery for Weis Markets, Davis embraced innovation, built solid monthly promotional programs and developed unique first-to-market private brand product alternatives. Steve also served as Senior Vice President of Sales/ Merchandising/Ops for Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy and Vice President of Holistic Health and Lifestyles for Wild Oats Markets in Boulder, Colorado. These assignments have allowed Mr. Davis to enjoy a challenging and very diverse career in Food and Drug retailing. Earlier in his career, Steve represented Ahold USA and Giant Food Stores, Carlisle, PA as Vice President of GM/HBC and Pharmacy. From 2016-2018, Mr. Davis served as Chairman of the Board of GMDC.
has more than 35 years of experience in the mass and specialty retail industry, developing relationships with the leadership teams at many of the most respected companies in the country. Most recently, Burke served as Vice President, Strategic Relationships and Business Development for Hallmark Cards, the world's leading social expression company, where he was responsible for initiating, developing, and maintaining strategic relationships with the highest level of leadership at retailers, key licensors, CPG companies, industry trade groups and within the Hallmark family of companies. Also, Burke has been a very active member of the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) leadership team. He was on the advisory boards for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
Vince Burke was awarded the prestigious GMDC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and MMR Seven Retailers that made a Difference in 2013.