Pattison Food Group president Darrell Jones to retire, Jamie Nelson tapped as successor
Pattison Food Group president Darrell Jones is set to retire after nearly 50 years in the grocery industry.
Jamie Nelson, chief operating officer, will helm the company beginning next March.
In June, Pattison Food Group announced several changes to its leadership team, including the retirement of Dan Bregg, former president of wholesale operations. At that time, Nelson was to add executive vice president of merchandising to his title.
“Jamie fully embraces the company’s entrepreneurial spirit, is always willing to accept new challenges, and I know he will do a fantastic job leading this company. I have so much faith in Jamie and am confident there is nobody more ready or skilled to lead this incredible team,” Jones said in a statement.
Jones’ career in grocery began in 1976 when he worked as a bag boy at the Overwaitea Foods store in Cranbrook, B.C.
He then moved throughout the province, holding progressively senior leadership roles at Save-On-Foods and associated banners before joining the executive team in 2002.
In 2012, Jones was promoted to president of Save-On-Foods and the Overwaitea Food Group.
Under his leadership, Save-On-Foods and the Pattison Food Group expanded into the Yukon, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as internationally into the U.S.
Pattison Food Group also doubled its store count and expanded its corporate portfolio to include manufacturing facilities, warehouses, transportation companies and pharmaceutical distribution.
The 109-year-old company now counts almost 30,000 employees.
In 2017, Jones received the Golden Pencil Award from the Food Industry Association of Canada for his contributions to the grocery industry. He was also recently recognized as the 2024 Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Canadian Business Leader of the Year
Jones participated on numerous boards, including The Grocery Foundation, GS1 Canada, Retail Council of Canada, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
READ: Darrell Jones on how Save-On-Foods is always working to be the best in the West
Pattison Food Group president Darrell Jones is set to retire after nearly 50 years in the grocery industry.
Jamie Nelson, chief operating officer, will helm the company beginning next March.
Nelson’s career, meanwhile, began 44 years ago when he worked as a retail clerk in the Mission, B.C. Overwaitea Foods store.
He rose through the ranks, working in B.C. and Alberta, before becoming a store manager in 1995 in Red Deer, Alta. In 2012, he was promoted to vice president of Save-On-Foods operations. He
Since then, Nelson—a 2023 Golden Pencil Award winner—has held increasingly senior executive roles, including EVP of Save-On-Foods.
He is also currently chair of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers and a past chair of the United Grocers Inc.
