SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Board of Directors of Big Y Foods Inc. has made leadership changes within its legal team.
Michael Gold, senior vice president and chief legal officer, has recently retired following more than 30 years of legal experience in both private practice and corporate counsel roles. He has been replaced by Richard Stamm, the new general counsel.
During his 18-year tenure at Big Y, Gold played a pivotal role in guiding the company through significant legal and strategic milestones.
“Michael has been a trusted advisor, providing thoughtful guidance on all legal matters of the company, including regulatory and compliance issues,” said Michael P. D’Amour, Big Y president and CEO. “His extensive legal knowledge and sharp insight helped the company navigate complex challenges with integrity and clarity. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
As general counsel, Stamm will be responsible for delivering legal advice and managing the legal affairs of the company across all aspects of the business, with an emphasis on strategic guidance and business counseling in the areas of compliance, commercial relationships and corporate governance.
He brings more than 30 years of legal, business and executive experience across a variety of industries and business structures. For the bulk of his career prior to Big Y, he was spent 24 years in the food/beverage and agriculture business with Ocean Spray Cranberries, serving ultimately as its vice president, general counsel and secretary and vice president of cooperative development.
Most recently, he served as vice president of operations, general counsel and corporate secretary at Activ Surgical Inc., a medtech, venture capital backed, AI-focused startup.
“I am both honored and excited to join the Big Y family,” Stamm said. “This is an incredible opportunity to support what is truly an amazing family and company heritage. I look forward to leveraging my experience to help drive Big Y’s continued commitment to its customers, employees, business partners and the communities it serves as we continue to grow, innovate and evolve.”
Stamm holds a BA in business economics from Brown University and a JD with Highest Honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He teaches an evening class each spring as an adjunct professor at UConn Law (the in-house counsel in a global market) and is a frequent speaker on corporate governance and in-house legal strategy.
Stamm lives in Sharon, Massachusetts. with his wife, Debra, and yellow lab, Zoey. His two adult sons reside in New York City.
“His extensive experience and thoughtful leadership will be invaluable as we continue to evolve,” D’Amour said. “I’m confident that under his guidance, our legal department will build on its strong foundation, adapting and advancing to meet the changing needs of our dynamic business.”
