Robert J. Cinkant has been named president and chief executive officer of Sysco HRI Supply, Ltd., a Sysco broadline foodservice subsidiary located in Kelowna, British Columbia. Cinkant, who is currently senior vice president of that company, will assume his new role effective July 4, the beginning of Sysco's fiscal year 2005. He will succeed Bill Redmond, who is retiring after a 40-year foodservice career.
Cinkant, 43, is a 25-year foodservice veteran. He joined HRI Supply in 1990 as a marketing associate, progressed to director of sales in 1992 and vice president of sales and marketing in 1995. He was promoted to vice president and general manager in 1998 and in 2000 he was named to his current position. Prior to joining HRI Supply he served for 11 years in sales and management positions in the foodservice industry. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Cinkant has three sons and currently resides in Kelowna.
Redmond, 62, began his career in the foodservice industry in sales and management positions with Canada Safeway and later at Scott National Co. In 1978 he and his wife, Lu, founded HRI Supply and guided it to become the largest broadline distributor of food and related foodservice products in the British Columbia interior. In May 2001 the company was acquired by Sysco and it began operating as Sysco HRI Supply, Ltd., with Redmond as the company's president and chief executive officer. He and his wife of 38 years have a daughter and a son and two grandchildren and reside in Kelowna.
Michael K. Brawner has been named executive vice president of Sysco Food Services of Columbia, LLC, the company's subsidiary located in Columbia, SC. Brawner currently is senior vice president of merchandising and marketing for that company and will assume his new role effective July 4.
Brawner, 46, began his career in 1982 as a merchandiser at Sysco's Memphis, TN, operation, Hardin's Sysco Food Services, LLC. He was named merchandising manager of that company in 1989, director of merchandising in 1993 and vice president of merchandising the following year. In 1996 Brawner was promoted to vice president of merchandising and marketing and in 2001 he assumed his current duties when he transferred to the newly established Columbia facility.
Brawner is a native of Memphis, where he also attended Memphis State University. He and his wife, Linda, have a daughter and two sons and reside in Columbia.
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