FMI Appoints Rhett Asher Vice President of Industry Relations

ARLINGTON, VA — August 10, 2010 — The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) today announced the appointment of Rhett Asher as Vice President of Industry Relations.

     Asher will focus on enhancing the capabilities and services of industry relations at FMI, specifically the FMI/GMA Trading Partner Alliance. He will also support other programs such as loss prevention and risk management, technology, and marketing and merchandising.

     “Rhett has extensive retail and association management experience that will be very valuable to our members,” said FMI President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie G. Sarasin. “He is highly regarded within the industry for his knowledge of loss prevention issues and we are excited to have him join FMI.”

     Asher joins FMI from the National Retail Federation where he served as Vice President of Loss Prevention. He served in a similar capacity at the Retail Industry Leaders Association from 2003 to 2006. Previously, Asher held management positions at Ross Stores, Inc., Modell’s Sporting Goods and Cort Furniture Rental.

     Asher earned a BS in Business Administration from North Carolina State University.

     He currently serves on the Department of Homeland Security Commercial Facilities Sector Coordinating Council, the advisory board of the Loss Prevention Research Council and the advisory committee of the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention.

     Photo available upon request.

About FMI

As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org