As Chairman and CEO, Michael leads the team of 750 at Imperial Distributors. He has dedicated his career, 50 years, to the company his father, Frank Sleeper, founded in 1939. Michael is recognized throughout the industry as a pioneer in the development of supermarket non-foods. His vision and innovation has helped grow this segment of the supermarket industry to what it is today. He is a graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, MA, and has been active in many community, educational and industry associations and organizations. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding industry and community service.
Herb is Imperial’s President, COO and CFO. A key member of the leadership team for more than 25 years, Herb has been instrumental in guiding the company’s growth and ensuring its stability. He oversees finance, IT and the supply chain and distribution facilities. Before joining Imperial, Herb was the CFO of Idle Wild Foods and worked for Arthur Young & Company. He is a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, MA and has an MBA from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Herb is also a CPA.
Joe is SVP, Merchandising. In this role he leads a team that is responsible for growing retailer sales in both Chains and Independent supermarkets. Category managers who have deep expertise in their product categories partner with sales leaders to ensure that Imperial’s retailers have the right product, at the right price for each of their stores. He also oversees the company’s in-store service operations. Before joining Imperial in 2003, Joe was the COO for Spag’s Supply which was a deep discount retail trendsetter. Joe is a graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, MA.
Steven is Vice President, Chain Sales and Business Development. His responsibilities include leading Imperial teams within Chain supermarkets, and developing new business opportunities. His focus is on identifying ways to partner with retailers to meet and exceed shopper expectations. Steven has an extensive background working with consumer product companies and has held leadership positions at The Gillette Company, Johnson & Johnson, Keurig Green Mountain and Focus Products Group. Steven is a graduate of Boston College.
Perry is VP, Supply Chain. He oversees replenishment purchasing, transportation, and distribution functions and facilities for the company, as well as loss prevention and safety. Perry joined Imperial in 2012 and previously worked at CVS Caremark, C&S Wholesale Grocers, AJ Wright, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Mervyn’s. Perry is active in warehouse and distribution associations and has been a speaker at numerous professional meetings. Perry graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, and has an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Colleen is the company’s VP, Finance. She oversees the finance functions of the company including accounts receivables, account payables, credit, and payroll. She works closely with customers, suppliers and Imperial team members to ensure that these functions are effective and that the needs of our retail partners are being met. Colleen has been with Imperial for 20 years, all in finance, including ten years as Controller. Before joining Imperial, Colleen worked in public accounting. She is a CPA and has a degree from Bryant University in Smithfield, RI.
Deb is VP, Organizational Effectiveness. She is responsible for talent management, organizational development, and leads the Human Resources team. Before joining Imperial in 2009, she managed corporate strategy and leadership development at Bose Corporation. She also was the VP, Communications at Norton Company, and spent a number of years consulting in a variety of industries. Deb is a graduate of American University, Washington, DC and the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development.
David is VP, Independent Retailer Sales. He has responsibility for sales and service at all of Imperial’s Independent retailers throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-west and South. David has been with Imperial for more than 30 years and has played many key roles in the company throughout his career. He is well known in the industry for his deep knowledge and experience. Before joining Imperial, David was a public school teacher. He is a graduate of Providence College in Providence, RI.
Derek Potter is VP, Sales and Service Operations. Derek oversees a team of 400 who ensure that each of our retailers gets the highest quality service and merchandising support in the Industry. Imperial provides service on HBW and GM products in more than 1,200 retail locations. Under Derek’s leadership, Imperial has developed productivity standards for service and merchandising, and created proprietary software to support our team in the field. Derek is uniquely qualified to lead the service team having begun his career at Imperial in 2001 as a Sales and Service Representative.