ROCKVILLE, MD – September 1, 2009 – Avendra, the hospitality industry’s leading procurement services company, announces the promotion of Don Hecht to vice president of procurement, food and beverage. Hecht succeeds Walt Sheffler who was recently promoted to senior vice president of strategic contracting.
“I have had the opportunity to work with Don for more than 12 years, and I have every confidence that his professionalism, balanced business approach and deep technical expertise will enable him to excel in this new capacity,” stated Sheffler.
Hecht has been with Avendra since its inception and has held various roles with steadily increasing responsibilities. Most recently, he held the position of senior director with responsibility for oversight of all food distribution and regional contracting programs. In his new role, Hecht will oversee all aspects of the supply chain for food and beverage, Avendra’s largest spend category.
Hecht came to Avendra from Marriott International where he worked in procurement and contracting for five years. While at Marriott Hecht supported the business unit responsible for distribution services and was involved in the formation of The Marketplace by Marriott, a predecessor to Avendra. He is actively involved in the foodservice industry and currently sits on the customer advisory board for Distribution Market Advantage (DMA). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Gettysburg College.
About Avendra
Avendra is North America’s leading procurement services company serving hospitality-related industries. Avendra customers gain access to contracts leveraging $3 billion of annual purchases, expert advisory services and in-depth purchasing data and analysis. Through Avendra, customers obtain substantial savings on their purchases and other value added services to improve their operations and bottom line results. Formed in 2001, the company is headquartered in Rockville, MD and has regional offices throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, please call (866) AVENDRA, visit www.avendra.com, or email inquiries to info@avendra.com.
Contact:
Lindsay Hargett
301-825-0500