Whole Foods Adds Three VPs

Whole Foods Market has appointed three new global VPs to its Austin, Texas, headquarters team: Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, global VP of marketing; Martin Tracey, global VP of team member services; and Brooke Buchanan, global VP of communications. 

As global VP of marketing, Oblisk will lead Whole Foods’ marketing, advertising and brand development efforts, including digital, brand marketing and customer relationship strategies. Oblisk brings more than 15 years of experience in retail, consumer products and affinity marketing, including an eight-year tenure at Walmart, where she most recently served as VP of marketing for the retailer’s Sam’s Club division.

In his role as global VP of team member services, Tracey will have strategic responsibility for the end-to-end team member experience, including recruitment, compensation and benefits, talent analytics, learning and development, and payroll operations for more than 87,000 team members. Most recently, he served as chief talent officer and VP of people development at coffeehouse chain Starbucks, where he was responsible for leadership development, talent analytics and organizational development.

Buchanan, as global VP of communications, will lead Whole Foods’ public relations, internal communications and government affairs efforts. She previously served as VP of communications for healthcare technology company Theranos, as VP of public relations for housewares and food retailer Williams-Sonoma, and in multiple senior positions at Walmart. Prior to her corporate experience, she spent more than eight years in political and government communications.

Whole Foods Market operates more than 455 stores in the United States, Canada and the U.K., and employs more than 87,000.