2022 Star Women in Grocery winner Abra Snider (Q&A)
Abra Snider
Chief Curation & Production Officer
Fresh City
How did you get into the grocery business?
It was 2010 and I had just finished a continuing education program in Food Security & Urban Agriculture at Ryerson University. I was looking for ways to get involved in food and farming in Toronto. When I met our CEO and founder, Ran Goel, I knew I had found a unique opportunity. I became Fresh City’s first employee!
What do you do in your current role?
As chief curation & production officer, I lead a team of 110+ passionate foodies. The production teams include our hot and cold kitchens, pastry, bakery, butchery and product development across four different sites. I also lead our curation team, who focus on sourcing fresh organic produce and groceries for our retail stores and the thousands of customers we deliver to weekly.
What are some of your career highlights?
One of my career highlights was during the early days of the pandemic, in my prior capacity as chief of operations. While it was an incredibly challenging period, it was also rewarding to work in an industry that was helping so many people stay safe and healthy. Our business more than doubled overnight and I led our warehouse and packing line expansion. We built new spaces, expanded our fridges, invested in new equipment, and improved processes every single day. We nearly tripled our warehouse, packing, and purchasing teams. I am proud to have led and worked alongside an incredible team of dedicated people.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received was from our chief people officer, Jenn Hay, who has long advised us to assume positive intent. In an age where emails and texts can often be misinterpreted, this advice has helped me and our teams approach conversations, conflict, and problem-solving with more grace and patience, leading to much better outcomes and happier people!
What is your leadership style?
My leadership style is participative and collaborative. I welcome my team’s opinions and constructive criticisms because I believe they yield creative solutions and better outcomes. As an omnichannel retailer and vertically integrated business, I find it especially important to be collaborative cross-functionally.
How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
As a new-ish mom, I spend most of my time outside of work with my wife and one year old twin boys. We love to cook and the twins love to eat, so introducing new foods is something we all enjoy!
Click here for the full list of 2022 Star Women in Grocery award winners.