Edward W. W.

Executive Director (SES) of Store Operations/Executive Vice President of Store Operations @ Defense Commissary Agency

About

I am a Senior Executive Service (SES) leader with a career spanning the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, Fortune 500 corporations, and the nonprofit sector, including service as a Presidential Appointee on the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. My experience sits at the intersection of enterprise leadership, federal contracting, and multi-stakeholder governance—leading organizations at scale while aligning Boards, federal agencies, nonprofit networks, and Congressional stakeholders around shared mission and measurable outcomes. I currently lead global store operations for the Defense Commissary Agency, overseeing a $5 billion enterprise across 235 locations and 11,500 employees worldwide. I bring direct, firsthand knowledge of the AbilityOne Program’s governance, Cooperative Agreement framework, and the strategic dynamics between the Commission, Central Nonprofit Agencies, and federal customers. My leadership approach is grounded in operational execution, financial discipline, and mission alignment—delivering measurable outcomes while strengthening the systems that enable long-term impact. I am particularly committed to advancing employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities and strengthening the connection between federal demand and high-performing nonprofit organizations

Country

United States

City

Richmond

Industry

Retail

Skill

Stakeholder Management, Enterprise Leadership, Nonprofit Leadership, Board Governance, Governmental Affairs, Federal Contracting, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Strategy, Leadership, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Brand Management, Strategic Planning, Product Marketing, CRM, Market Research, Program Management, Strategic Communications, Customer Experience, Corporate Communications, Internal Communications

Experience

Executive Director (SES) of Store Operations/Executive Vice President of Store Operations

Defense Commissary Agency

2025-9 - Present · 1 yr 1 mo

Fort Lee, Virginia, United States

Executive leading the Defense Commissary Agency's Store Operations Team including 235 global military supermarkets/grocery stores. Direct a $5 billion enterprise with 11,500 employees.

Executive Director (SES)/Executive Vice President of Marketing, Sales, E-Commerce

Defense Commissary Agency

2022-8 - Present · 4 yrs 2 mos

Richmond, Virginia, United States

• Global responsibility includes US, Europe, and Pacific with annual sales ≈ $4.9B of over 30,000 SKUs at 235 commissaries (military supermarket/grocery store locations). • Serves as an expert senior advisor to the Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer (COO) on all matters involving DeCA business practices, transformation, and the support functions required to manage and grow the commissary system as one of only 4 DeCA senior executives (SESs). • Grew sales ≈ +12% FYTD23 through February 2023 with record savings exceeding 25% for all quarters FYTD while working within budget and margin requirements. • Savings: Q1 25.3%, Q2 26.4% resulted in $659M in savings directly into patrons’ pockets. • Sales: 11.6% increase in Sales FYTD and an 8.3% increase in transactions despite continued supply chain challenges. • Focused on “food insecure” service members and families per Sec Def’s “Taking Care of People” TCOP initiative. For military grades E-1 to E-3, sales were up 85% and transactions up 83%.