Bakersfield, Calif.-based Grimmway Farms says Chief People Officer Sara Oliver has officially stepped down from her leadership role with the company after more than 30 years of service.
Oliver oversaw Grimmway’s employee relations, career development, education and training and health and wellness programs, according to a news release. She also managed the teams responsible for government and community relations and corporate philanthropy. Grimmway said as a member of its executive leadership team, Oliver has been a key contributor to its strategic growth and acquisition initiatives.
“Sara’s commitment to expanding career opportunities for our family of employees, combined with her dedication to recruiting and retaining exceptional talent across all areas of the business, has been instrumental in Grimmway’s continued growth and success,” Jeff Huckaby, president and CEO of Grimway Farms, said in the release. “Sara has advanced professional development opportunities for women throughout the company, and she has always championed dignity, respect, fairness, and safety for our dedicated employees.”
Food and beverage industry veteran Peter Vitarisi, who joined Grimmway earlier this year with more than 20 years of strategic human resources experience, will step into Oliver’s role, the company said. Following a collaborative and intentional transition period, Grimmway said Vitarisi now assumes Oliver’s day-to-day responsibilities as she moves into an advisory role until her official retirement in January 2025.
“Sara has led our team through some of the most pivotal times in the company’s history, and she leaves an indelible mark on the culture and values that guide Grimmway’s success,” Huckaby said. “With Peter, we welcome another strategic leader who is equally committed to growing and supporting our most important resource — our people.”
In his former position, Vitarisi drove employee engagement, talent recruitment and retention as chief people officer for Basic American Foods, the release said. He also previously served in executive HR roles with E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, Calif., and J.M. Smucker Company in five diverse regions in the U.S. and Canada. He has a bachelor’s degree in food science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA in human resources from Baldwin Wallace University.
“Over the last seven months, I have experienced first-hand the commitment and people-first approach that Sara has instilled at Grimmway over more than three decades,” Vitarisi said in the release. “Grimmway employees are the heart and soul of this company, and I look forward to building upon Sara’s legacy of attracting and developing top talent and advancing an inclusive culture that honors the company’s history as a caring and responsible employer.”
