SN's annual Power 50 is a snapshot of the industry's most influential people at this moment. The new list, which appears in full on Page 24, is divided by industry segment. So what's different about the roster this year?
Timothy W. Carroll, principal and group head, Consumer Retail Group, William Blair & Co.
- Two executives of fast-moving companies have been promoted to the Top 10 portion of the list: Rick Cohen, chief executive officer of C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Charles Jenkins Jr., CEO of Publix Super Markets.
- Food trends have a big influence this year: The late Dr. Robert Atkins was removed from the Power 50 as the low-carb phenomenon waned, and Debra Sandler, worldwide president of McNeil Nutritionals, was added because of the success of Splenda, the low-calorie sweetener.
A word about methodology. SN drew a strong industry response to its recent call for Power 50 nominations. Editors made the final choices based on industry input. This year SN opted to exclude all trade associations except those with a broad horizontal focus across many segments of the business. The types of businesses covered by the remaining associations are represented in the many articles about retailers, suppliers and other power players. Speaking of those articles, the majority of this SN issue is devoted to these profiles of the 50 power players. Keep in mind that no one has tenure when it comes to power status; the list will likely be quite different next year.
