Wakefern Hires 1 Exec, Promotes Another

Kabasinskas, Day further bolster retailer-owned co-op’s leadership team

4/17/2023

Left to right: Elena Kabasinskas and Michael Day

Retailer-owned cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. has hired Elena Kabasinskas as group VP, strategy, planning and transformation. Responsible for leading transformation planning, strengthening business processes and Wakefern’s strategic deployment of new technologies, Kabasinskas will report to Michael Day, who has been promoted to the role of SVP, strategy, business development and architecture.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Elena to the Wakefern family,” said Wakefern President Joe Sheridan. “She will play an important role as we look to further fuel growth across our entire business. Her deep experience in process improvement and business transformation will be pivotal as we look internally to strengthen our own operations and meet the challenges presented by a new digital world.”

Before joining Wakefern, Kabasinskas spent more than a decade with The Estée Lauder Cos., where her most recent role was SVP in the cosmetics company’s global transformation office and head of special projects. Prior to that role, she was SVP, strategy, finance and business services, North America region, in which capacity she led financial and business operations for the company.

In his new role, Day will lead Wakefern’s strategic planning across a range of business units, with responsibility for maintaining oversight of key operations, including information technology, real estate, business development, member services and strategic transformation efforts. Day came to Wakefern in 1999, holding a range of roles with the company, most recently as group VP, strategic planning, business development and retail services.

“Over his long, 23-year tenure with Wakefern, Michael’s leadership has proved to be instrumental in helping drive and steer our strategy and planning,” noted Sheridan. “We’re grateful for his dedication to Wakefern and are looking forward to the impact that he will have in his new role as we improve and better serve our member companies and customers.”

Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern comprises nearly 50 members that independently own and operate 360-plus supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs nearly 80,000 people. The retailer-owned co-op is No. 25 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 listing of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Providence, R.I.-based UNFI, the largest publicly traded grocery distributor in America, is No. 49 on PG’s list.