Ithaca, NY (June 30, 2022) – Rosie is excited to announce the hiring of Lori Brown as Senior Vice President of Industry and Customer Development. In this new leadership role at Rosie, Lori will focus on the expansion of Rosie’s industry leading ecommerce service and growth of Rosie’s independent retailer media network, reporting to Chief Revenue Officer Merrick Rosner.
“Lori’s enthusiasm for independent grocers and wholesalers is legendary,” shared Rosie CEO and cofounder Nick Nickitas. “She brings years of experience and a passion for delivering delight to shoppers, retailers, and organizations across the US. She is a tireless champion of our industry and a true servant leader. As Rosie continues its rapid growth, we couldn’t be more excited for Lori to join our team.”
Prior to joining Rosie, Brown was at Post Consumer Brands for 18 years, most recently as Regional Vice President leading Post Consumer Brands in the West Region responsible for major accounts including URM Stores, Associated Food Stores (AFS), CERTCO, Brookshire Brothers, and Stater Bros. Markets. She earned a master’s degree from USC’s Marshall School of Business and serves on several boards including California Grocers Association (CGA), Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA), and The Illuminators. Brown is also acting President, Boy Scouts of America, Pacific Harbors Council.
Lori’s excitement for the opportunity at Rosie was on display when she shared, “I’ve watched Rosie closely over the last few years and have admired the team’s care for locally owned independents and wholesalers. I’ve been able to work directly with them from my previous work at Post and I look forward to bringing my experience, network, and mission to Rosie.” Lori continued, “I grew up in a small town, and the local food center was the heart of our community; completely invested not only in their business, but in the people. Independent grocers have more obstacles to overcome than larger chain accounts, but they figure out a way to get it done. They are scrappy and resourceful. Rosie helps independent grocers differentiate and compete.”
Rosie’s rapid growth over the last few years has been due to a deep focus on independent grocery retailers, their wholesaler partners, and national CPG brands. Today, nearly 300 retailers representing close to a thousand stores, have selected Rosie as their trusted ecommerce and mobile platform. With stores and wholesaler partnerships reaching all 50 states, Rosie is poised for even greater expansion with Brown joining the team in this senior position where she will work closely with retailers, brands, and wholesaler leaders.
Ray Sprinkle, president of URM Stores and current chair of Retailer Owned Food Distributors (ROFDA) and past chair of WFIA, shared, “Lori has spent her career demonstrating her passion for ensuring the success of the Retailer. Combining Rosie’s technology with Lori’s experience and knowledge in the industry, it is the perfect fit for bringing enhanced value to the Independent Retailers we all serve. URM is excited to continue our relationship with her and Rosie.”
In early 2015, Rosie began building partnerships with CPG brands to directly support the ecommerce programs of retailers and to find unique and inventive ways to engage online shoppers with brand driven digital programs. These have expanded over the last 7 years to include campaigns with Kraft-Heinz, Johnson & Johnson, McCormick, Litehouse, and many others. As shoppers shift habits to online shopping, Rosie’s expansive market penetration and merchandising platform make for a one-of-a-kind partnership opportunity for brands, wholesalers, retailers, and their online guests. Brown will oversee Rosie’s growing digital media platform in her newly created position.
Carole Christianson, COO of the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC), said, “Lori Brown is one of the finest industry executives that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Her work ethic, commitment to lifelong education and passion to serve the food industry is greatly admired and appreciated.”
In early 2021, Rosie completed a $10 million round of Series A funding, enabling the team to introduce new tools to enhance the shopper and retailer experience, launch new products to provide a seamless omnichannel journey for shoppers at home, in-store, or on-the-go, further invest in monetization opportunities to increase retailer profitability, and recruit the best and brightest talent to accelerate product development and expansion across the independent grocery space.
Greg McNiff, President of Stater Bros. Markets and WAFC immediate past chair, stated, “Lori is truly a servant leader. I’ve been blessed to know and work with her for several years. She is the first to raise her hand to assist in any industry event (regardless of how busy she is) and always does it with a smile. Lori is a leader who builds trusting relationships which will benefit any organization fortunate enough to land her.”
