Mike Stigers joined Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. in 2023 as its president. He brings with him five decades of food industry knowledge, having begun his career as a part-time courtesy clerk at Safeway in his home state of California.
Stigers has a distinguished track record in both the retail and wholesale sides of the supermarket business, holding executive roles in operations, merchandising, supply chain and fresh. He also has experience on the vendor side of the grocery industry having worked for BASS, a retail automation software company, and for Sterilox Fresh, a food safety company, as regional vice president.
Prior to joining Wakefern, he served as executive vice president of SuperValu’s fresh division from 2019 to 2020 as well as being named CEO at Cub Foods. Cub Foods is a subsidiary of United Natural Foods Inc., the natural and organic food company headquartered in Rhode Island.
He has been active in industry trade associations including the California Grocers Association and served as the past president of Western Association of Food Chains and past chair of the National Grocers Association, from 2020-2021. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business for the food industry management program.
Stigers holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Science in Food Industry Leadership from the University of Southern California.