After nearly 10 years as president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Washington, Pamela G. Bailey, announced Feb. 12 she will retire later this year. Bailey will remain with the group until a replacement is found.
The GMA represents the world’s leading food, beverage and consumer products companies that sustain and enhance the quality of life for hundreds and millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe.
“GMA’s members are dedicated to improving the quality of life for their consumers and they are fortunate to be led by a dedicated board of industry leaders, committed to ensuring the association can help its members continuously improve the health, safety, affordability and sustainability of their products,” Bailey said. “As GMA’s board continues to engage in the reinvention process to build the association of the future to meet the consumer needs of the future, it is best that they do so in concert with their leader of the future. I look forward to continuing to work with the GMA board as they engage in that process to identify that leader.”
During Bailey’s tenure, the association supported modernizing the nation’s food and product safety laws and regulations, resulting in the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, reforms to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) review process and passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which made important improvements to the nation’s chemicals management laws.
"We want to thank Pam for all her hard work during her nearly 10 years at GMA," said Chris Policinski, chairman of the GMA board of directors. Her leadership was valuable during an evolving time in the industry. As the industry evolution continues, GMA’s board is committed to building an association that is the leading voice for a major sector of our nation’s economy and that works collaboratively with industry and consumer partners to address our challenges ahead."
Bailey's departure comes at a time when the GMA has seen several member companies leave from the group, such as Nestle, Tyson Foods, Campbell Soup Co., Dean Foods, Unilever, Mars. In early February, Kraft Heinz Co. and DowDuPont were the latest to announce they'd part ways with the group. The exits began when the association and companies disagreed on GMO labeling.
Prior to joining GMA, Bailey served as founding president and CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council; was president and CEO of AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, and was president and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council. Earlier in her career, she served in the White House for three presidents.
