CHICAGO, IL - The world of produce is ever-changing, and new leadership roles spring up to keep demands from both customers and consumers satisfied. To help meet these demands, Hazel Technologies has bolstered its leadership team, appointing Tommy Caruana as the Director of Business Development - Retail.

“My passion for many years has been reducing food waste and bringing the freshest food to retail shelves. I am excited to join the extremely talented and growing team at Hazel Technologies and focus on my passion every day,” commented Caruana.

Caruana brings over 10 years of experience in the perishable retail sector. His expertise ranges from procurement and category management to merchandising and marketing analytics.

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Most recently, Caruana served as Procurement Manager of Produce & Floral at Wakefern Food Corp. During his time at Wakefern, Caruana held progressive responsibilities leading diverse teams and overseeing over $1 billion of produce procurement for six banners across the Northeast. In addition, he built retail programs to drive top-line sales and worked closely with quality assurance teams to ensure the highest standards and best practices.

“As Hazel Tech’s impact in reducing global food waste continues to grow, I look forward to the Business Development Team exploring new opportunities with growers and retail partners,” said Kellen Stailey Martin, Vice President of Marketing. “Tommy’s deep retail and analytical experience will help us leverage data and insights to drive strategic decisions and deliver value across the supply-chain.”

According to the release, Caruana will manage the company’s business development strategy and implementation for retail accounts as part of his new duties as Hazel’s Director of Business Development - Retail. He will report directly to Martin and will oversee the go-to-market strategy for the retail sector and help reduce food waste throughout the retail supply chain.

Congratulations to Tommy Caruana and the start of his next journey!

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