Speaker - Tony Sarsam Blog

Keynote Speaker, Fortune 500 Turnaround CEO

A seasoned food executive with a passion for building People First, high-performance cultures, Tony has led turnarounds at SpartanNash, Borden Dairy, Ready Pac Foods and more. He blends visionary leadership with actionable insights to help senior leaders navigate and inspire their workforce – from the frontline to the boardroom.

Building on nearly four decades of experience in the food industry, Tony most recently served as CEO of SpartanNash, a food solutions company that delivers the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation.

Tony joined SpartanNash in 2020, focusing his work on transforming the company’s commitment to growth, operational excellence, customer service and innovation. He led 20,000 Associates – serving customers in all 50 states and U.S. military troops overseas – and his relentless focus on creating a People First, high-performance culture resulted in:

A 40% reduction in Associate turnover
192% total shareholder return
14% CAGR on TSR
An increase of 59% to the bottomline
4x EBITDA growth for SpartanNash Military (+$60M)

Tony previously served as CEO of Borden Dairy, where he led the company through a major corporate restructuring and subsequent sale that preserved jobs for all frontline employees. Earlier in his career, Tony’s People First approach to leadership helped Ready Pac Foods grow by more than 60%.

His leadership positions have also included President of Nestlé USA Direct Store Delivery Division and Executive Vice President of Sales and Operations at Dreyer’s. Tony began his career at PepsiCo, where he started as an Associate Engineer and gained valuable insights as Plant Manager, Director of Finance and Regional Vice President for Sales and Distribution in the West. Tony proudly comes from a class of 16 former PepsiCo executives who have gone on to become CEOs.

In 2025, Tony was inducted as a laureate in the Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame. He has also been named one of the Most Admired CEOs in North Texas by the Dallas Business Journal, and more recently, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business has twice celebrated Tony as a top “Newsmaker of the Year” in the Retail category. As a thought leader in the CPG and grocery industry, Tony is now a regular contributor for Bloomberg and CNBC, among other top business media publications.

From the Frontlines to the C-Suite: Why People First Matters

Applying lessons he learned from his very first job as a paper delivery boy, Tony’s People First philosophy has created high-performing teams at each company he’s led. Learn what People First is – and isn’t – and how it empowers success at every level of your business.

Why Investing in People Pays Dividends

As a first-generation American, Tony understands how factors like birth rates, immigration and more impact the U.S. workforce. For Tony, investing in people – whether they’re fresh out of college or the next up-and-coming changemaker in an organization – pays dividends far beyond the bottom line. Learn from Tony about the importance of building your talent pipeline and how to inspire every generation.

How a Company’s Identity Guides Growth

Tony’s passion for investing in Associates and providing them with the framework for success serves as the foundation for each of his turnaround triumphs. learn how continuous alignment leads to success – and how you can apply those same change management principles.

“Tony’s People First philosophy resonated powerfully with our audience. He doesn’t just talk about leadership – he makes it feel accessible and real. His stories about navigating challenges and building strong, values-driven teams gave our students practical tools to advance in their careers.”

"Tony is a dynamic speaker and a truly authentic leader with genuine heart. He has a remarkable way of creating people-first cultures and bringing others along the journey with humor and relatable stories. His keynote left us inspired by his visionary leadership turning companies around, and our attendees left energized and empowered to apply his change management principles."

“Tony is a passionate and committed champion of the food industry. His service on FMI’s Board of Directors and as chair of our Communications Committee demonstrates his dedication to elevating the positive work our industry does every day for customers. His tireless advocacy for the consumer shines through in his efforts to demystify food price inflation and help them maximize their grocery budgets. We’re honored to consider Tony a friend, colleague and true supporter of FMI.”