Big Y Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the following new appointments: Michael P. D'Amour, executive vice president; Guy W. McFarlane, vice president fresh foods; Michael J. Galat, senior director of employee services and Nicole D'Amour Schneider as senior manager of pharmacy services.
The Board of Directors of Big Y Foods, Inc. has appointed Michael P. D'Amour to the position of executive vice president. In addition to overseeing sales, marketing, and merchandising, he will serve as an advisor to the Board and to the CEO and COO regarding new initiatives and strategic direction.
D'Amour's 25 years of experience began in 1987 as a service clerk in their East Longmeadow supermarket. He has worked in all areas of the markets including grocery, deli and food service. In 1996, he was appointed to deli and food service management at the West Springfield World Class Market. Next, in 1998, he moved on to a trainer/merchandiser for the chain within the food service department. After completing the store manager training program, he was assistant store manager at the Manchester, CT and then Westfield, MA Big Y World Class Markets. By 2000, he was promoted to store manager in the Rocky Hill, CT Big Y. The following year, he opened the new Big Y World Class Market in East Windsor, CT. D'Amour left the operations team in 2002 in order to become a category manager for the frozen foods and dairy departments followed by the same position in the produce department in 2004 until being appointed director, then senior director, vice president of fresh foods, and later vice president of sales and merchandising.
Outside of his Big Y experience, D'Amour worked as a store representative for the former Food Enterprises food broker and had worked in food and beverage services at the student center while in college.
In 1996 he was awarded a BA from Connecticut College. He resides in CT with his wife, Jennifer, and three children.
Guy W. McFarlane has been named vice president of fresh foods. McFarlane has over 32 years of experience in the supermarket industry where he began as a service clerk at Stop & Shop. While there, he held many positions including meat manager and assistant store manager until he became meat and seafood merchandiser prior to joining Big Y in the same position in 1996. In 1997, he was appointed meat and seafood sales manager and then in 2005 he became director of meat and seafood. Last year he was promoted to senior director of fresh foods. He reports to Michael P. D'Amour, executive vice president.
McFarlane has attended the University of Massachusetts and in 1981 earned a A.S. from Holyoke Community College. A resident of Ludlow, he and his wife Debra, have three children.
Michael J. Galat has been appointed senior director of employee services. Galat will be overseeing the entire employee services department including employee policies and procedures, training and development, morale and engagement, recognition, progressive discipline, employee benefits, wellness initiatives, and more. He reports to Charles L. D'Amour, president and COO.
Galat has worked in the supermarket industry at Big Y for over 31 years. He began as a part time service clerk in their former Meadow St., Chicopee store before moving on to a full time position as dairy/frozen department manager in 1987. Over the next several years, he moved on to several other positions including grocery manager, assistant distribution manager, store manager trainee, assistant store manager until his appointment as store manager in 1994 in Big Y's Southwick market. He later managed Big Y's in West Springfield, Chicopee, South Hadley, Amherst and Westfield before being promoted in 2003 to district manager for Big Y's Eastern Zone until his new appointment.
In 1995, Galat received an Outstanding Merchandising Award and in 1998, he was named Store Director of the Year. He holds a B.A. from Western New England University.
He has been a volunteer baseball and basketball coach. A resident of Chicopee, he has two children.
In her new position as senior manager of pharmacy operations, Nicole D'Amour Schneider is responsible for the development and execution of all programs, promotions and services offered at Big Y's 41 Pharmacy and Wellness Centers.
She has over 23 years of supermarket experience. She began as a service clerk at the East Longmeadow supermarket and worked in several areas within the stores including customer service and employee services. In 1999, she became assistant customer service manager and then customer service manager one year later. After completing Big Y's store manager training program, she was assigned to their Westfield World Class market as an assistant store manager. In 2002, she became store manager in the Enfield, CT Big Y World Class Market until becoming the company's first diversity specialist in 2003. In 2004, D'Amour Schneider became Big Y's first customer relationship manager where she was responsible for training, reinforcing and executing Big Y's customer service culture and engagement programs until her recent appointment. She reports to Michael G. Semanie, Jr., Director of Pharmacy.
She holds a BA from Connecticut College and has taught high school history at the Canterbury School in New Milford, CT.
She and her husband, Todd, reside in CT with their three children.
Source: Big Y
