NCA to Present 2021 Confectionery Leadership Awards
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) and Candy & Snack TODAY magazine have revealed the recipients of the 2021 Confectionery Leadership Awards: Maureen Keenan, category manager – seasonal candy at CVS Pharmacy, and Peter Kempton Jr., category manager – center store at TravelCenters of America. This year’s Confectionery Leadership Awards will be presented remotely March 9 during NCA’s virtual State of the Industry Conference.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of adaptability, innovation and collaboration with our retail partners as critical components to the confectionery industry’s success,” noted John Downs, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based NCA. “During this challenging year, Maureen and Peter contributed to the resilience of the category, leading with a growth mindset and an eye toward our industry’s future.”
“In 2020, I tried to expand my knowledge and my relationships, looking at things in new ways,” said Keenan, who joined CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, more than a quarter of a century ago and worked her way up from store manager to her current role. “I spent time coming up with ways to do things differently and understanding the business in new ways to figure out how to expand our reach and meet our customers’ needs.”
“In 2020, we looked at what we could do differently to branch out,” said Kempton, an 11-year veteran of TravelCenters of America who last June teamed with NCA to pioneer the Westlake, Ohio convenience store chain’s successful National Candy Month promotion. “Attending the 2020 State of the Industry Conference planted the seed of National Candy Month, and we were able to build that into an event in the store last year that helped drive sales.”
NCA and Candy & Snack TODAY created the awards program in 2011 to recognize and honor the confectionery industry’s best and most innovative category champions and leaders in the retailer and wholesaler sectors.
NCA member companies and select retail partners can view the virtual presentation of the 2021 Confectionery Leadership Awards during the 2021 State of the Industry Conference.
With its CVS Pharmacy subsidiary operating almost 10,000 locations nationwide, Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based CVS Health is No. 6 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
