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Wakefern hires Nazesh Cattelona as diversity & inclusion director

Former Guitar Center, Target HR professional assumes newly created role

Russell Redman

September 25, 2020

2 Min Read
Wakefern headquarters.png
Now part of Wakefern's human resources leadership team, Nazesh Cattelona will work across the grocery retail cooperative to strengthen its diversity and inclusion practices.Wakefern

Nazesh Cattelona has joined retail grocery cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. as director of diversity and inclusion, a newly created position.

Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern said yesterday that Cattelona becomes a member of its human resources leadership team and will work across the cooperative to bolster its diversity and inclusion practices. In addition, she will be charged with helping Wakefern attract and retain employees who reflect the company’s commitment to diversity.

Nazesh Cattelona-Wakefern.jpgCattelona (left) reports to Nicole Gasaway, chief human resources officer at Wakefern, whose retail banners include ShopRite.

“We are delighted to welcome Naz to Wakefern and look forward to working with her as we develop an impactful diversity and inclusion strategy,” Gasaway said in a statement. “We’re confident Naz’s leadership will bring about positive, meaningful change and ultimately enrich the experience for our associates, leaders, members and customers.”

Cattelona comes to Wakefern from musical instruments retail chain Guitar Center, where she served as director of human resources. Besides developing a team to support an inclusive work culture and building growth-focused engagement strategies, she created successful initiatives impacting culture, talent strategy and organization effectiveness in a company of 10,000 associates, according to Wakefern.
 
Before joining Guitar Center, Cattelona spent more than 10 years at Target Corp. in various leadership roles, including as human resources director for the greater Philadelphia and Baltimore areas, and as human resources business partner in the northern New Jersey and greater New York region. At Target, she helped optimize the engagement and performance of store teams covering more than 10,000 employees, Wakefern noted. And prior to Target, Cattelona served as a human resources manager at Lord & Taylor.

Related:SpartanNash hires first VP of talent and diversity

The nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, Wakefern now has 50 members who independently own and operate 359 supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. 

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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