Perishables Group Leadership
Bruce Axtman is the president and chief executive officer of the Perishables Group, a national consulting firm specializing in marketing strategies for perishable food items. Bruce created the Perishables Group in 2000 by spinning off the perishables consulting practice he created while he was a partner at Willard Bishop Consulting, Ltd. The company has since expanded its offerings to include consumer and trade research, syndicated data, category development software and programs as well as marketing communications services.
Bruce provides a fresh perspective for the industry, guiding Perishables Group clients in the move away from the traditional "commodity" business model toward a new consumer-driven marketing model. Bruce's strategic vision has reinforced the Perishables Group's reputation as a leader in marketing innovation. Bruce works with many of the top supermarket retailers in the country as well as the leading perishables industry suppliers. He is often asked to share his integrated go-to-market approach at industry events such as Food Marketing Institute, Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Produce Association, Florida Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association and the International Fresh Cut Produce Association.
Bruce holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Washington.
As executive vice president for the Perishables Group, Steve Lutz helps organizations develop innovative growth strategies for the future. He has worked for more than 25 years in all areas of marketing and management. As a well-respected industry leader, Steve has been a featured speaker at Produce Marketing Association, Food Marketing Institute, Canadian Produce Marketing Association and other meetings throughout the world.
Steve served as president and CEO of the Washington Apple Commission, the largest fresh produce commodity commission in the nation, until June 2000. His work challenging the industry to deliver consumer satisfaction caught the eye of the Los Angeles Times, which called him "an unlikely revolutionary. The Packer named Steve "Apple Marketer of the Year" in August 2000 for his leadership and vision.
Prior to joining the Washington Apple Commission, Steve worked for Nutri-System as well as an advertising agency where he led several national accounts including Westin Hotels, K2 Ski Company and the Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest Wineries.
Steve holds an MBA from City University of Seattle and a bachelor's degree in advertising from Washington State University. He also completed the marketing management graduate program at Stanford University.
Sherry’s primary areas of focus are developing innovative category development techniques for clients in the fresh food industry, as well as new product development - from conception through execution and launch. Sherry manages the Perishables Group supplier client base and account team. Through targeted strategic planning and market research efforts, Sherry ensures PG programs deliver actionable insights to guide critical business decisions.
Sherry frequently shares consumer and industry insights and opportunities at national and international industry events, including the Food Marketing Institute and INFOFISH.
Prior to joining the Perishables Group in 2002, Sherry served as vice president of Fleishman-Hillard, a marketing communications organization. Her specialty was marketing campaigns and new product launches for national accounts such as Welch’s, Hallmark, Monsanto, Farmland National Beef and McDonalds. Her work included the national launch of the Maya Angelou Life Mosaic from Hallmark program. Her previous experience also involved international work with the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (Vienna, Austria) and Emile Voarick Vineyards (Dijon, France).
Sherry holds a bachelor's degree in agribusiness/agricultural journalism from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
As a director of account management for the Perishables Group, Jonna Parker channels expertise in market research, data analysis and retail testing into successful category management programs for clients across the fresh departments.
Prior to joining the Perishables Group, Jonna was a client service manager with PromoWorks, a retail promotion company, where she specialized in developing in-store demonstration programs for consumer packaged goods clients, most notably helping launch the Walmart Diabetes Day and Healthy Heart programs. Prior to PromoWorks, Jonna provided research analysis and consumer promotion creation and execution as a marketing manager at Entertainment Marketing, Inc., an experiential marketing agency.
Jonna graduated from Bradley University.
As Retail Program Director, David manages all aspects of the Perishables Group’s retail data services and supplier category management program, including critical sales activities and projects with upper-level retail directors, category managers and vendors.
David joins the Perishables Group with extensive experience in defining market challenges, developing solutions, leading strategic programs and leveraging data to identify opportunities and creating actionable solutions.
For the past six years David worked as a management consultant, most recently with Exedient, LLC, where he partnered with clients to identify value creation opportunities through analytics. Having spent considerable time at Information Resources Incorporated, now Symphony IRI, David is well-versed in improving data quality, developing standards, and managing retail accounts.
David holds an MBA from National-Louis University and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Eastern Illinois University.
Kari provides recommendations and execution support for clients in the fresh food industry on marketing communications activities including brand development, media relations, product introductions and influencer outreach programs. Prior to working for the Perishables Group, Kari was at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., a global public relations agency where she managed similar activities for clients such as the Kellogg Company and Gatorade.
Kari also has experience directing communications programs for the fresh foods industry having worked for the California Strawberry Commission and the Washington Apple Commission where she directed national public relations programs that included retail, foodservice and consumer-focused initiatives.
Kari holds bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from Washington State University.
As manager of marketing services, Kelli works with Perishables Group clients to create a strong image and presence in the marketplace through branding as well as consumer and industry outreach. She also manages marketing efforts for the Perishables Group, including business proposals, media relations, external communication materials, industry presentations, social media, "The Fresh Perpective" monthly newsletter, and the Perishables Group website.
Prior to joining the Perishables Group, Kelli managed marketing and media relations for a not-for-profit organization supporting individuals with disabilities.
Kelli graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa.
As a senior vice president for the Perishables Group, Tim develops leading edge technology solutions for the retail industry. His technology expertise combined with an in-depth knowledge of the retail industry has led to the creation of several successful software implementations for the perishables and dry grocery industries. Tim leads the design and development of the FreshFacts® category management software, the leading tool for category data and planning in the perishables industry.
Prior to joining the Perishables Group, Tim was president and co-founder of Knowledge Management Resources, Inc., a technology solutions provider where he was chief architect and developer in the retail industry solutions program. Tim has also worked for the Center for Retail Management at Northwestern University where he specialized in statistical modeling and software development.
Tim holds a master's degree in business/finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics/computer science from Colby College.
As director, analytical services, Beth evaluates data from the FreshFacts® category management system, in addition to conducting and analyzing custom research such as consumer surveys, in-store tests, benchmarking and best practice development. She executes business-to-business online research to help clients understand how they are perceived in the marketplace and assist with new product decision-making. She also creates and customizes data models including activity-based costing and pricing regression.
Beth works with the technology team to adjust software for client-specific needs, and she is responsible for managing analysis and category review standards. She writes regular columns in Produce Merchandising and InStore Buyer magazines.
Beth has a master's degree in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She also earned a certificate in integrated marketing from the University of Chicago.
As manager of research services for the Perishables Group, Cara Ammon is responsible for conducting surveys, data analysis and consumer research for clients. She is the liaison with external research providers as well as the internal production department identifying client data requirements and managing projects through completion.
Cara came to the Perishables Group with project planning and execution experience in design development, market research and analysis, and data collection. She also has extensive experience in coordinating various marketing activities from graphic design to brochure and newsletter writing and editing.
Cara holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Indiana University.