Niagara University today announced the appointment of seasoned food industry executive Ken Malecki as the new Robert B. Wegman Endowed External Director of Food Industry Innovation and Supply Chain Excellence.
Housed within the Holzschuh College of Business Administration, Malecki will lead the university’s expanding, cross-disciplinary food industry and supply chain management undergraduate programs, bringing over four decades of frontline grocery operations, brand management, and executive sales experience to the position.
Malecki joins academia following a distinguished career across major sectors of the consumer-packaged goods and grocery retail networks. Most recently, Malecki served as the vice president of sales for the eastern division at the Musco Family Olive Co., the nation’s leading retail olive brand. During his tenure, he directed core product development, maintained national retail partnerships, and spearheaded landmark product innovations, including the significant regional and national launches of the Pearls® brand and “Olives to Go” product lines. His deep regional expertise is anchored in Western New York, having started his career at Tops Markets in Buffalo, rising from an in-store operations role to become the director of grocery merchandising for New York and Pennsylvania.
“The food industry in Western New York and across the country is incredibly dynamic and interconnected, demanding a new generation of leaders who understand the matrixed complexities of global supply chains, analytics, and consumer behavior,” noted Dr. Mark Frascatore, dean of NU’s Holzschuh College of Business Administration. “Ken Malecki represents the exact marriage of deep corporate acumen, foundational retail expertise, and mentorship that will elevate our food industry management program. We are thrilled to welcome him to lead this critical initiative.”
In his new capacity as the Endowed External Director, Malecki will direct the marketing and recruitment for the food industry and supply chain management majors. Backed by a transformative $1.5 million gift from the Wegmans Foundation, the cross-functional programs synthesize specialized curricula across Niagara University’s distinct colleges of business, hospitality, nursing, and sciences. Courses cover vital components of the modern food ecosystem, including global supply chain dynamics, food chemistry, sustainability, logistics management, and nutritional trends.
In addition to recruiting, Malecki will partner in student enrichment and industry integration through the Centers for Food Industry Innovation and Supply Chain Excellence. He will lead strategic corporate outreach to scale internships, support student case competitions, and mobilize executive mentorship frameworks. His appointment directly bridges university programming with an elite consortium of regional corporate employers, ensuring the academic track aligns with contemporary recruiting demands.
“Stepping into this endowed chair at Niagara University feels like a natural culmination of my 40-year journey in the food business,” added Malecki. “From stocking shelves at Tops in Buffalo to navigating national broker networks at Musco, I have seen firsthand how critical robust talent pipelines are to the food ecosystem. I look forward to working closely with our regional partners and mentoring students as they unlock the immense career paths this industry offers.” Malecki’s regional leadership includes tenures launching imported confection lines with Mayfair Sales and consulting on category management with Wilson Farms convenience stores. His operational alignment will directly leverage a robust framework of corporate collaborative partners supporting the program, including Northeast Grocery (parent company of Tops Markets), Wegmans, Rich Products, Perry’s Ice Cream, Lactalis American Group, and Rosina Food Products.
