Retail Marketing CEO Jonathan Shaw pays tribute to ‘colleague and friend’ Joseph Vassallo

Retail Marketing Ltd CEO Jonathan Shaw on Sunday paid tribute to Welbee’s Supermarkets Head of Marketing Joseph Vassallo, a dear "colleague and friend" who passed away earlier this month.

Mr Vassallo, who was also an artist, passed away suddenly on 12th August, with the news of his death being met with an outpouring of condolences on social media. He passed away at the age of 43, and is survived by his two children, including a three-month-old baby.

Mr Shaw remarked that it took him a week to gather his “thoughts and find the right words” to properly pay tribute to Mr Vassallo.

“Joseph was a remarkable individual who seamlessly blended fun and thoughtfulness within our team. Behind his quiet exterior lay unexpected bursts of humour, always followed by a contagious heartwarming smile,” he said.

He described Mr Vassallo as a “principled thinker with a uniquely endearing conservative twist”, and he recalled how they often engaged in lengthy discussions about “work ideas and marketing strategies”, consistently finding common ground and a shared path forward.

“Yet, once an agreement was reached, Joseph’s commitment to deliver was unwavering,” Mr Shaw added.

“The past week proved to be quite demanding. Many questions, but few, if any, had an answer. No business degree, nor CEO playbook could have adequately prepared me for this situation,” he explained.

Such a situation led to Mr Shaw being “forced to immediately navigate the process of grieving while also maintaining a position of leadership at work”.

“It becomes essential to ensure that each team member is adequately coping with such a sudden loss and receiving the required support. It’s challenging, yet it pales in comparison to the hardships his family is enduring,” he continued.

“Your presence, Joseph, made a difference that cannot be measured, and your absence leaves a void that words fail to describe,” Mr Shaw said, before adding “rest peacefully, my friend”.

Mr Vassallo was Head of Marketing at Welbee’s Supermarkets for more than a year, and during that time he was responsible for developing and implementing strategic marketing plans to drive sales growth and increase traffic to both the retail’s chain’s physical stores and online shopping platforms.

The comment section for Mr Shaw's post was filled with people expressing their condolences to Mr Vassallo's family and friends.

The latter's sister Lucienne Vassallo, who is also General Manager at Connected Care, remarked that she was lucky to be able to share her childhood and life with him, as he was "unique in his own way".

Pio Vassallo, Group CEO at Vassallo Group and Mr Vassallo's cousin, thanked Mr Shaw for the support he has shown to the family during the difficult time. "You were spot on in describing our cousin Joseph," he said, before stating that he appreciates the support Welbee's offered the Vassallo family.