The former president of The Giant Co. has joined Flashfood in its mission to reduce food waste and help families save money on groceries.
Flashfood, a digital marketplace that connects consumers to heavily discounted food nearing its best-by date, appointed Nicholas Bertram to the leadership team in a newly created position of president and chief operating officer.
Betram’s appointment comes on the heels of a historic year for Flashfood, according to a news release.
The company has diverted more than 65 million pounds of food from landfills — a milestone achieved following the company’s rapid expansion to more than 1,550 grocery stores across North America. Besides helping consumers and retailers reduce food waste, Flashfood has also saved shoppers more than $150 million on grocery bills during a time when food costs are rising more than 11%, according to the Washington Post.
Bertram joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry, where he focused on sustainability, innovation and growth for companies such as Jewel-Osco, Walmart and, most recently, as president of The Giant Co., an Ahold Delhaize brand.
Related news: Flashfood diverts 50M pounds of food from landfills from 1,400 stores
During Bertram’s tenure at The Giant Co., the retailer saw historic growth through acquisitions, new formats and market expansion, as well as exponential growth of digital engagement and e-commerce sales, according to the release. Bertram also made an impact on the company’s purpose-led culture.
“Nick brings an unprecedented level of firsthand leadership experience with some of the biggest names in the retail sector,” Flashfood founder and CEO Josh Domingues said in the release. “His vision and successes around sustainable retailing align perfectly with our company’s mission to reduce food that is wasted throughout the retail sector. Nick has seen how the level of waste experienced by grocers represents billions of dollars in lost revenue and understands the massive impact this also has on our planet. More importantly, he understands how this food could have helped families which is a shared passion he brings to Flashfood that will help fuel our next phase of growth.”
Related news: The Giant Co. to save 9,000 gallons of gas with 4 new electric vehicles
As the new president and chief operating officer of Flashfood, Bertram will accelerate Flashfood’s growth, working closely with Domingues and internal department leaders to further develop capabilities and innovation that affects the connected problems of food insecurity and food waste.
“I have never been more excited about the collective impact the food industry, sustainability-minded investors and technology companies like Flashfood can have on our future,” Bertram said in the release. “Josh and the rest of the board of directors have given me an amazing opportunity to join at this stage, with such a talented team and unique product. Together with its retail partners, Flashfood is already making huge inroads in reducing food waste while helping consumers save money — and now is the right time to accelerate this bold work.”