STAMFORD, Conn. -- Rex Griswold was presented the Nestle Waters North America President's Award in January, honoring the longtime employee for his dedication to the company and retailing.
"Your accomplishments have been critical to our success, but more important to all of us, is how you have done it," said Nestle Waters president and CEO Kim Jeffery. "Unfailing humor, candor, mentoring, real friendship mixed with [being a] role model--the kind of behavior which inspires people. Believe me when I tell you, people are inspired by Rex Griswold."
Griswold, vice president of sales for Nestle Waters, has been with the Stamford, Conn.-based company since 1992 and kept a keen focus on the convenience store and foodservice industries, attending numerous events while guiding his department. Recently, he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a degenerative neurological disorder, but continues to perform in a "positive, determined [way], with his fighting spirit coming through."
"Our aspirations and beliefs are only words until employees like you bring it alive with tangible actions," Jeffery said. "Our company cannot achieve its potential without the kind of positive leadership skilld which create context for people and which inspire passion and commitment in our fellow employees."
Multiple colleagues nominated Griswold for the President's Award, including Michael Pengue, executive vice president of Nestle Waters' Retail Division.
"Rex's contributions to the success of our organization are simply endless," Pengue wrote. "You need to understand the reputation that Rex Griswold has within the convenience store and foodservice industries. With word of Rex's medical issues spreading quickly throughout the industry, we received countless inquires on how he was doing and what they could do to help. … Rex continues to battle MSA every single day but also puts everything he has into his family, Nestle Waters, his team and his customers."
"Rex," wrote Jim Donker, national channel manager for convenience stores, "through his leadership, has created an atmosphere for success within the channel and people he manages. … His reputation within our industry is second to none."
And Dave Hardie, national channel manager for foodservice, wrote, "Rex is an amazing person and one of the smartest people I know. Wisdom, leadership, poise, patience, humor, kindness, honesty and integrity are just a handful of words I could use to describe him; however, humility is one that I'm most fond of when thinking of Rex."
Griswold received the Nestle Waters North America President's Award during a ceremony in January with his wife and two sons present.
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