2025 Generation Next winner Mitch Yeatman

Mitch Yeatman started pushing carts at Longo’s in 2006, knowing even
then he wanted to build a career in the family business. Nearly two decades later, he’s transforming categories and mentoring the next generation of grocery leaders.

As category manager overseeing grocery, dairy and frozen, Yeatman has turned pasta and pasta sauce into signature categories for Longo’s stores, complete with custom fixtures and lighting. “These categories
have really helped set us apart from our competitors,” he says. The results include consistent growth and expanded private-label penetration
across his portfolio.

His extensive experience across nearly every department guides his current work. “It allows me to see things from the stores’ perspective and ensure the store and our guests are at the front of all my decisions,” he says.

What drives him most is preserving the family legacy. “I love hearing stories about my nonno, or my mom or aunts and uncles within this industry,” he says. “Hopefully in 10-plus years, there will be exciting stories about us.”

Right now, he says his biggest priority is being a father to two young children while continuing to grow as a leader.

See the full list of Generation Next 2025 winner profiles.

Profiles were published in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Canadian Grocer.