With twenty years in the natural foods industry I have garnered a wealth of experience across multiple disciplines. I have held key leadership roles within the natural food channel - from retail and merchandising to brand development and trade management. This diverse experience has lead me to be at the forefront of some of the most innovative food trends. In my combined 13 years with Whole Foods Market, I've held senior leadership positions in category management and retail merchandising on both the national and regional scale. During my tenure as a lead merchant for the grocery division, I helped launch hundreds of products across multiple categories. In addition, I worked with WFM’s venture arm and brought several control brands to market. In my most recent role, I led Whole Foods Market’s dairy and beverage businesses and supported the purchasing evolution for the non-perishable product teams. As a 2016 Global Support All Star award recipient from Whole Foods Market I was recognized as being a dynamic leader for the company.Industry wide I've also held leadership positions in product development, trade management and team building for both small and large portfolio brands. I've worked alongside industry leaders to define standards for domestic fair trade ingredients, compostable packaging initiatives, sustainably sourced palm oil and grass fed dairy inputs. As a merchant leader, I helped guide brands towards developing sustainable practices which in turn have influenced a number of market trends over the years. I am passionate about preparing new brands for market and building teams that deliver consistent success.