In the countdown to the 12 October IGD Food Industry Awards, we want you to pick the winner of The Grocer Cup for outstanding achievement.
2009 Winner: Peter Marks
The Co-operative Group's chief executive, Peter Marks, left last year's awards with the coveted Grocer Cup under his arm, just a day after unveiling record half-year sales and profits for the group.
"It's terrific to have this recognition," he said.
Marks is pictured with The Grocer's editor Adam Leyland (left) and 2008 winner Andy Bond (right).
The 2010 contenders
CEO, Dairy Crest
Allen is on a mission to lift Dairy Crest out of commodities.
In the past year he has overseen the £10m relaunch of Cathedral City, reinvented the Milk&More online delivery service, and plans for Davidstow Cheddar, launched as a brand in its own right in June, to hit £50m in sales by 2015.
CEO, Birds Eye
Stumping up €800m to help Birds Eye fund its €805m buy-back of Unilever's Italian frozen food business, the support of the banks and private equity backers was an endorsement of the steady cash and marketing panache Glenn is delivering in what is a rare British manufacturing success story.
CEO, Sainsbury's
With King at the helm, Sainsbury's continues to defy its critics, with a 5.1% jump in sales to £21.4bn and a 17.5% increase in profits to £610m [52w/e 20 March].
King also plans to increase the estate by 2.5 million sq ft including up to 100 Local stores by March 2011.
CEO, Tesco
The sun is setting on Sir Terry's stellar career at Tesco as he prepares to step down in March next year. Even his succession planning put him in a different league to rivals.
Having delivered again with bumper £3.4bn profits this year, he will be a hard act to follow.
UK president, AB InBev
MacFarlane has focused relentlessly on AB InBev's international lagers and the off-trade.
This - and brilliant marketing - has turned around the reputation of InBev's Stella Artois brand (off-trade sales were up £60m, or 11%) and boosted AB's Budweiser sales by £54m (or 41%).
FD, Morrisons
He may not have got his hands on the top job following Marc Bolland's defection to M&S, but Pennycook's importance to the turnaround of Morrisons is undisputed.
He will be first on the headhunters' lists in the event of a crisis at one of Britain's bigger retailers.
MD, Waitrose
It's been a transformational year for Waitrose under Price. The Essential range is now a £750m brand, and has helped deliver the best like-for-like sales growth (3.6% for 2009) of any leading multiple.
Plans are afoot for 1,450 new stores in the next five years, and to double sales in 10.
CEO, Nisa-Today's
Turton has proved his mettle in the past 12 months. He's fought off two failed bids from Bibby Line and steered the buying group to a record turnover of £1.42bn [52w/e 28 March].
He has also moulded Nisa into a powerful retailer with the growing symbol fascia Nisa Local.
CEO, Iceland
Yet again, Walker has been punching above his weight. He's delivered the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth at Iceland and 70 stores are opening this year.
Even the slowdown in frozen food hasn't hurt: frozen's loss has been chilled and ambient food's gain at Iceland.
CEO, Booker
A push into India provided the only surprise for the safest pair of hands in the industry, as Wilson delivered another sparkling set of results.
First-quarter like-for-like sales were up 4.8% [12w/e 18 June] a more impressive performance than that of the multiples.
Vote now
Vote by phone: 01293 846535 or online here. But don't delay - in order for your vote to count, we need it by 14 September 2010.
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