Champions of Change
The Champions of Change awards program recognizes emerging and established leaders employed in the retail bakery, deli, foodservice and dairy sectors.
Champions of Change annually honors recipients from the retailer/wholesaler and supplier/vendor communities in three categories:
Store Department Directors/Managers
Recognizes high-performing, results-oriented retail store department managers and assistant department managers in the following store categories: Bakery, Deli, Foodservice/Prepared Foods and Dairy.
Emerging Champions
Celebrates up and coming talent in the food industry with supporting roles or emerging leader roles to director level roles from the retail, supplier, and service provider sectors in Dairy, Deli, Foodservice/Prepared Foods, and Bakery. The Emerging category recognizes individuals who are early in their careers but already making a significant impact through leadership, measurable achievements, peer mentoring, and exceptional contributions to the success of their stores, companies, and communities.
Legendary Champions
Recognizes senior-level business leaders (titles of VP or higher) who consistently demonstrate outstanding leadership, dynamic vision, inventive strategic direction and innovative solution-building while providing exemplary inspiration for a new generation of up-and-coming leaders.
The Legacy of Excellence title is awarded to the Legendary Champion of Change who best represents the Legendary category and takes into consideration criteria such as longevity and impact; innovation and pioneering; leadership and influence; community and social impact; and lifetime achievements.
The 2026 Champions of Change class will be revealed on SupermarketNews.com in June and will receive special recognition by Supermarket News and IDDBA at the IDDBA Show.
Nominations for the 2026 Champions of Change class will open in November 2025
Nomination Instructions
- All Champions of Change nominations must be submitted via the official online entry form.
- All nominations must provide convincing details of extraordinary achievements— such as executing impactful merchandising programs and initiatives that deliver significant financial and/or strategic objectives, astute problem-solving acumen and surpassing performance benchmarks—attained during the Jan. 1, 2025 — Nov. 1, 2025 timeframe.
- Information furnished on nomination forms will be used to judge applicants.
- All nominations must include a high-resolution .jpg (300 dpi) digital photo; winners' photos will be published on SupermarketNews.com.
- Questions? Email Michele Tietyen at education@iddba.org or Abigail Lewis at abigail.lewis@informa.com.
Applications for 2026 Champions of Change open in November!