Festival Foods is proud to announce Ryan Jones, Operations Senior Director, has been honored with a 2024 GenNext Award from Progressive Grocer. This award recognizes those in the grocery industry under the age of 40 who are making significant impacts on their teammates, partners and communities.

Jones’ impact at Festival is reflected through his exceptional relationship-building skills and his thoughtful and approachable demeanor. Jones’ ability to listen, seek to understand and foster a positive collaboration across departments makes him a consummate servant leader. As a testament to not only his ability to be a servant leader but also his commitment to driving financial and operational success while promoting accountability and community involvement, Jones was previously honored with the company’s Marlin Greenfield Award.

Jones’ leadership qualities were further highlighted while he was a Store Director at one of Festival’s highest-volume stores. He modeled a leadership style with high urgency in being in-stock while creating a positive culture within the store, ensuring it was clean and staffed with friendly associates, all while striving to maintain a high level of helpfulness for every guest.

“From the start of Ryan’s journey with Festival, it’s been evident that he embodies the values of strong character and work ethic that have guided him through each of his roles. Ryan’s leadership style is grounded in understanding and listening, and he seeks to understand by asking thoughtful questions while welcoming conversations with opposing viewpoints,” said Sean Sanders, Festival Foods’ Senior Vice President of Store Operations. “Ryan uses these opportunities to coach, inspire and build confidence in others, including the next generation of grocery leaders. Simply put, Ryan helps others around him become better. We’re incredibly proud of his accomplishments and excited to see how he continues to shape the future of Festival Foods.”