Leadership

Michael Sleeper
Michael SleeperCEO
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.
Joe Kirby
Joe KirbyPresident

Joe is President. In this role Joe oversees all company operations including Supply Chain, Distribution and Sales. Joe joined Imperial in 2003 as a Category Manager and has held several positions including most recently Executive Vice President. 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.

Colleen Peloquin
Colleen PeloquinCFO

Colleen is Chief Financial Officer. 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.

Naomi Sleeper
Naomi SleeperEVP

Naomi is the Executive Vice President. In this role Naomi leads the Procurement, Category Management, and e-Commerce departments. She joined Imperial Distributors in 2013.  She started her Imperial career in sales and service, then moved to category management, and then to the distribution center where she continues to support our efforts to improve productivity. Naomi represents the third generation of the Sleeper family to be active in the company. Naomi has several advanced degrees including an MBA from MIT.

Derek Potter
Derek PotterVice President of Retailer Sales & Service

Derek Potter is VP, Retailer Sales and Service. In this position Derek is responsible for all retailer sales and service. 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.

Dean Messier
Dean MessierVice President of Human Resources
Jennifer Wintner
Jennifer Wintner Vice President of Supply Chain

Jennifer is the VP of Supply Chain. The Supply Chain team is responsible for ensuring we have in-stock inventory to meet customer demand, and on-time shipments and deliveries to fulfill customer orders. Jennifer is focused on warehouse/inventory management, logistics, transportation, and other distribution operations. She uses lean operations principles to drive efficiency, quality, and safety in all aspects of the Supply Chain. Jennifer previously worked for Amazon for 18 years in Seattle, Luxembourg, and Boston. Jennifer is a graduate of University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Barry Silver
Barry SilverVice President of Information Technology

Barry Silver is VP, Information Technology.  He leads the IT team with responsibility for developing and managing technology solutions to meet the needs of retailers and enhance our operations.  Before joining Imperial, he was the VP of Information Technology for Pet Food Experts. In that role, Barry spearheaded the company’s digital transformation of its infrastructure, ERP, data, and business intelligence and B2B eCommerce. Earlier in his career he designed and directed technology initiatives for a leading wholesale distributor of life safety and security products.  Barry is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.