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Allegiance Retail Services promotes trio of grocery industry veterans

Northeastern supermarket cooperative appoints board for 2022-23 term at annual meeting

Russell Redman

July 26, 2022

3 Min Read
Allegiance Retail Services-2022 Annual Member Meeting.JPG
The Allegiance Retail Services board for the new term (from left): Esmail Mobarak (treasurer), Michael Mignosi, John Shakoor, John Estevez, Louis Scaduto Jr. (vice chairman), John Derderian (president and COO), Daniel Katz (chairman), Joseph Parisi and Jason Ferreira.Allegiance Retail Services

Grocery cooperative Allegiance Retail Services has promoted three executives and elected board members for a new term.

Iselin, N.J.-based Allegiance said Tuesday that it has appointed Samer Rahman as vice president of center store, Dean Holmquist as vice president of Perishables, Kevin Komisky as senior director of store operations.

Samer Rahman-Allegiance Retail Services.jpgFormerly vice president of perishables, Rahman (pictured left) in his role will provide co-op members and stores with support in the areas of supply, product and operational costs. He has been with Allegiance for nine years, previously holding various posts at A&P, Food Bazaar and Pathmark.

“My objective is to provide the best cost of goods for in-demand products and continue to demonstrate best in-class merchandising,” Rahman said in a statement. Allegiance noted that he’s a third-generation grocer, following his father and grandfather. “Through my decades in the business and various positions I’ve held, I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he added.

Dean Holmquist-Allegiance Retail Services.jpgBefore his promotion, Holmquist (pictured left) served as vice president of store operations, leading the merchandising and in-store execution teams for member stores, coordinating on-boarding efforts for new members, and overseeing third-party food safety and sanitation and shrink and labor programs. Allegiance said he now will “continue to raise the bar” for perishables departments. Holmquist has spent 36 years in the Allegiance/Foodtown co-op, starting with Twin County Grocers Foodtown Inc.

Related:Red Apple Group promotes Joseph Parisi to Gristedes/D’Agostino president

Kevin Komisky-Allegiance Retail Services.jpgIn his new position, Komisky (pictured left) — previously director of merchandising and operational effectiveness — will be charged with addressing members concerns, providing assistance with projects and ideas, and working on initiatives to bring new members into the Allegiance. He began in the grocery industry as an assistant manager for A&P in 1981 and advanced through various roles and stores before joining the Allegiance team in 2020.

“We have tremendous talent among our associates at Allegiance and look to promote from within first,” President and Chief Operating Officer John Derderian commented. “Samer, Dean and Kevin’s dedication and knowledge of the grocery industry will bring strong support to the co-op’s members as they navigate changing consumer demands.”

Derderian announced the three promotions during Allegiance’s recent annual member meeting at the Upper Montclair Country Club in New Jersey. Discussions focused on how the grocery industry is meeting changing consumer demands, adapting to digital commerce and customer interactions, addressing challenges facing independent grocers, as well as the economic outlook and industry forecasts.

Related:Foodtown rebranding focuses on quality meals and customer service

“As a cooperative, our members are uniquely positioned to grow their operations based on the strategic investments we have made in business intelligence and benefiting from the enhanced digital offerings we have worked tirelessly to implement and deploy,” Derderian stated.

Members also elected the the Allegiance Board of Managers and Foodtown Board of Directors for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Board appointees included Daniel Katz as chairman; Louis Scaduto Jr. as vice chairman; Esmail Mobarak as treasurer; and John Estevez, Jason Ferreira, Michael Mignosi, Joseph Parisi and John Shakoor as members; and Derderian as president and COO.

“The membership has embraced the new post-pandemic retail environment,” Katz said in a statement, and we are keenly aligned with the needs of the ever-changing consumer. We are extremely confident about the prospects of the Allegiance cooperative in the future.”

Overall, Allegiance’s retail network encompasses over 130 supermarkets in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania under the Foodtown, Freshtown Marketplace, D’Agostino, Gristedes, Pathmark, LaBella Marketplace, Brooklyn Harvest Market, Market Fresh, Big Deal Food Market, Green Way Markets, Food Basics and Shop ’n Bag banners. The company’s private brands include Foodtown, Green Way and Rancher’s Legend.

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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