Big Y Names Nicole D’Amour Schneider Senior Director of Ops

The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. has appointed Nicole D’Amour Schneider the company’s senior director of operations, effective Jan. 1. In her new role, Schneider oversees Big Y’s five supermarket districts, including its World Class Markets, Fresh Acres, Speciality Market, and Table & Vine wine and liquor division. She reports to VP of Store Operations Richard Bossie.

A member of the Big Y founding family, Schneider joined the company in 1989 as a service clerk in its East Longmeadow, Mass., supermarket. She worked in several departments, among them customer services and employee services. In 1999, Schneider became a full-time assistant customer service manager, and a customer service manager the following year. After completing the store manager training program, she was named assistant store manager at the Westfield, Mass., World Class Market.

In 2002, Schneider rose to the position of store manager at the Enfield, Conn., World Class Market. Two years later, she assumed the role of customer relationship manager, in which capacity she was responsible for training, reinforcing and executing Big Y’s customer service culture and engagement programs. In April 2012, Schneider became senior manager of pharmacy services, and a year later, she was promoted to director of pharmacy, in which role she oversaw the operation of all Big Y in-store pharmacies.

Schneider taught high school history for two years at the Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn., before beginning her full-time career at Big Y. She has served on Canterbury's board of trustees since 2008, and is a member of the board’s executive committee.

One of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y operates 80 locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, encompassing 70 supermarkets, 39 pharmacies, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and five Big Y Express gas and convenience locations, employing more than 11,000 associates.