Pattison Food Group president Darrell Jones named Canadian business leader of the year

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has named Darrell Jones, president of Pattison Food Group, Business Leader of the Year.

The Chamber announced the recognition earlier this year and Jones will accept his award in June during a reception and dinner event on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Vancouver, B.C.

Jones, who is a 2021 Grocery Business Hall of Fame recipient, began his 48-year career in the food business in Cranbrook, B.C. as a retail grocery clerk at the local Overwaitea store. From there, his career advanced through a series of progressively senior operating roles in 23 stores and communities with Save-On-Foods.

In 2012, he was promoted to president of Save-On-Foods, and in 2021, he was named president of the then newly-formed Pattison Food Group. Jones leads an increasingly diverse team of more than 30,000 people known for innovation, customer service and industry leadership in more than 150 Western Canadian communities and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.

Jones is known for his passion and commitment to the grocery industry and giving back and actively participates on numerous industry boards, including The Grocery Foundation, GS1 Canada, the Food Industry Association (FMI), and Retail Council of Canada GMC. Under his leadership, the company won the prestigious Jim Pattison Group Company of the Year Award in 2015. In 2017, he received the Golden Pencil Award from the Food Industry Association of Canada for his contributions to the grocery industry, as well as an Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He was also named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021.