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Washington, D.C. – The NGA Foundation (NGAF) is seeking nominations for grocery industry leaders to attend its Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). Sponsored by PepsiCo and designed to prepare leaders to face business challenges in the 21st-century marketplace, the conference will be held June 4-8, 2023, at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
The conference is a high-impact learning opportunity encompassing intense, interactive instruction presented by a mix of respected academics and industry leaders.
Each participant will complete an interactive 360-degree assessment and one-on-one coaching to better understand their leadership style and skills. Course content will include communication, strategic decision making, leadership skills in a changing workforce and negotiation skills.
“Building these skills is imperative to execute new strategies in the dynamic and ever-changing independent food industry,” said Chelsea Matzen, NGAF director. “The ELDP equips rising executives with actionable insights to help grow their companies. Additionally, NGAF is pleased to see PepsiCo’s investment in the diversity of this program being built on by the Women Grocers of America, who are offering a new scholarship for a woman this year.”
Two scholarship opportunities are available to cover registration and travel costs:
– Diversity in Leadership Scholarship, provided by PepsiCo. Eligible candidates should be from underrepresented backgrounds, inclusive of race, color, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, or who have otherwise demonstrated an actionable commitment to advancing diversity on such basis.
– Women Grocers of America Scholarship. Candidates should be an individual who identifies as female.
NGAF’s Executive Leadership Development Program is currently reserved for employees of retailer and wholesaler members of NGA. Participants should be mid- to upper-level executives with large spans of control and responsibilities that require delegation of tasks to others. These employees must be rising executives who are candidates for increased “people” and general management responsibilities.
“Investing in leaders at critical stages in their career will provide them with skills needed to advance up through the executive ranks,” said Kent Montgomery, head of industry relations at PepsiCo. “As we continue to build on our legacy of leading with diversity, equity and inclusion, PepsiCo is proud to partner with NGAF to provide rising professionals more access to networking and leadership development, giving them the edge they need to propel their companies and careers forward.”
Deadline to submit nominations and apply for scholarships is April 1, 2023. More details about ELDP and the scholarships, along with application forms, can be found at https://www.nationalgrocers.org/foundation/executive-leadership-development-program/.
Completed applications may be emailed to nga-foundation@nationalgrocers.org or mailed to 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, North Building, Suite 375, Washington, D.C., 20004.
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About the NGA Foundation
The NGA Foundation is the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association. The Foundation provides independent retailers with tools to develop more effective recruiting programs, enhance retention efforts and bolster professional leadership development opportunities for employers. For more information, visit www.ngafoundation.org.
About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than 1 billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $67 billion in net revenue in 2019, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.