Mike Stigers

President, Wakefern Food Corp.

Mike Stigers joined Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, on June 1, 2023 as its President. Mike 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.

Mike has a distinguished track record in both the retail and wholesale sides of the supermarket business having held executive roles in both operations, merchandising, supply chain and fresh. Mike also has experience on the vendor side of the grocery industry having worked for BASS, Inc., a retail automation software company, and for Sterilox Fresh, a food safety company, as regional vice president.

Prior to joining Wakefern, Mike 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 UNFI, the natural and organic food company headquartered in Rhode Island.

In 2011, Mike joined SuperValu, as president of Shaw’s/Star Market grocery stores in New England. He went on to lead SuperValu’s northern wholesale region in Hopkins, MN in 2013, and was named president of Cub in March 2014. Two years later, he was promoted to executive vice president of SuperValu Wholesale and Supply Chain Services, serving three years in that role until SuperValu was purchased by UNFI in October 2018.

Mike has been active in industry trade associations including the California Grocers Association. He served as the past president of Western Association of Food Chains and is the past chair of the National Grocers Association (NGA), from 2020-2021. NGA represents thousands of independent, community grocery stores throughout the U.S. Mike is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business for the Food Industry Management Program.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Science in Food Industry Leadership from the University of Southern California. He resides in New Jersey with his wife Renee.