Joseph Fantozzi named president and COO at Allegiance Retail Services

Joseph Fantozzi, who previously served as interim president and chief operating officer for Allegiance Retail Services, now holds those roles on a permanent basis, the supermarket services cooperative announced Wednesday.

Fantozzi assumed the interim posts in August, after John Derderian moved into a part-time role at the Iselin, New Jersey-based cooperative.

The company created a sub-committee of its board of directors to look for a permanent replacement for Derderian.

“After engaging a professional recruiting firm and conducting multiple interviews and assessments, the sub-committee was unanimous in their recommendation that Mr. Fantozzi be appointed as the president and chief operating officer of Allegiance Retail Services, LLC and Foodtown, Inc., effective immediately,” Louis Scaduto Jr., the chairman and CEO of Allegiance, said in a statement.

Fantozzi will also serve on the board of managers of Allegiance and the board of directors of Foodtown, a grocery banner under the Allegiance retail network.

“His many accomplishments at the cooperative to date, and his keen understanding of what is required to create a platform of success for the independent supermarket operator was of primary consideration,” Scaduto noted.

Derderian had served as Allegiance’s president since 2015. In his reduced role, he is principal adviser for retail development and strategic business initiatives.  

Fantozzi previously served as vice president and chief financial officer at Allegiance. Before joining the company, he served as president and COO of White Rose Foods.

Allegiance’s retail network includes more than 140 supermarkets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island under the Foodtown, Freshtown Marketplace, D’Agostino, Gristedes, Pathmark, Morton Williams, LaBella Marketplace, Brooklyn Harvest Market, Market Fresh, Big Deal Food Market, Green Way Markets, Food Basics, Shop n Bag and Brigido’s Fresh Markets banners.