Patrick Hagerty

Class of 2024

Anybody who has spent time with Patrick Hagerty has heard the phrase “Candy Makes People Happy.” It is what has driven him throughout his career.

Born on June 17, 1958, in Denver, to Edward and Claire, and growing up with four siblings, he says his parents’ unconditional love and the shared laughter are some of his fondest childhood memories.

Pat attended Heritage High School in Littleton, CO. After graduating in 1976 he went to Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1980, followed by a master’s degree in food marketing management from the University of Southern California, where he was class vice-president and Student of the Year in Food Marketing Management.

He began his career in the industry at just 16 years old in 1974 at the King Soopers supermarket chain, where he started as a bag boy and rose through the ranks to become Director of Perishables. He went on to Pace Membership Warehouse as Category Director and Regional Director, and then moved to Cub Foods as Director of Merchandising.

Since 1994, Pat has been with Vistar, a division of Performance Food Group, currently serving as Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer for the company. In total he has spent more than 50 years in the industry.

Pat leads by example, encouraging his team to excel in their roles and mentoring them to become leaders within and outside the company.

Known for his leadership, strategic thinking, and tenacity, he oversaw the expansion of Vistar from an $800 million to a $4.2 billion company and took Performance Food Group from $1.8 billion to $57.4 billion.

Pat was pivotal in developing the first perishables programs in the membership club industry and implementing automated warehouses for Performance Food Group.

Other notable achievements during Pat’s tenure include receiving an environmental award from the White House and leading Vistar to earn the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Distributor of the Year award in 2019.

Pat has been heavily involved in industry associations, chairing the NAMA Board of Directors and serving on the NAMA Foundation Board. He was a member of the NCA Board from 2014 to 2017 and sat on the association’s Strategic Planning and Government Relations Committees. He has also spent time on Capitol Hill lobbying on behalf of the industry.

Pat met his future wife Manissa on a blind date, and they were married on November 23, 1997, in Littleton, CO. Together they have four children: Linsey, Cailyn, Makenna, and Blake, and five grandchildren.

Collaboration in driving industry integrity, safety, governmental regulations, and standardization are good for everyone in the supply chain, but most importantly for the end consumer, Pat says.

Getting To Know Pat

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? Nothing is that bad, everything works itself out.

People be surprised to know . . . I am still a Colorado Rockies Fan