Albertsons taps PepsiCo leader as its new CEO
Albertsons Companies is replacing its current CEO with a veteran from one of the world’s biggest CPG companies.
The supermarket retailer announced it has appointed Vivek Sankaran, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America, as president and CEO of Albertsons Companies, effective April 25, 2019. He succeeds veteran retailer Jim Donald, who has served in the role since September and will continue as co-chairman, with Leonard Laufer serving as the other co-chairman. The company’s longtime leader Robert Miller has been named chairman emeritus and will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors.
Sankaran joins Albertsons from PepsiCo Foods North America, where he has served as CEO since December 2018. Prior to that, he served as the company's president and COO, a position he was named to in 2016. During his ten-year career at PepsiCo, which he joined in 2009, Sankaran led Frito-Lay and also served as the chief commercial officer for PepsiCo North America, chief customer officer of Frito Lay, and as the senior VP of strategy for PepsiCo.
Before joining PepsiCo, Sankaran was a partner at McKinsey and Company.
Albertsons promoted Donald to CEO in September 2018, not long after the company and Rite Aid Corp. decided to terminate their $24 billion merger due to Rite Aid shareholder opposition. He joined Albertsons in March 2018 as president and COO, coming from Extended Stay America, where he served as CEO from 2012 to 2015.
Prior to that, Donald served as president and CEO of Haggen Inc. from 2009 to 2011. And before Haggen, he was with Starbucks Corp., where he spent six years, including serving as president and CEO of its North America Division, from 2005 to 2008.
"When I joined Albertsons Companies in 2018, I found a company that had a strong decentralized operating model, a fantastic leadership team and incredible potential to be the four-walls and no-walls leader in the grocery industry,” said Donald. “Over the past year, our team made our company’s nearly 2,300 stores even stronger as we sharpened our focus on the intersection of technology and service. I’m looking forward to the continued progress of the company under the seasoned leadership of Vivek.”
Donald added that the incoming CEO brings “a rare blend of CPG, retail, manufacturing, logistics, technology, and research and development to Albertsons Companies, all of which are key components to being a successful retailer in an omnichannel-driven environment, along with a keen understanding that the front line is directly linked to the bottom line."
Albertsons Companies operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City.
"It is a great privilege to join a company that has such deep roots in American retail,” said Sankaran. “Our stores are integral to the lives of millions of customers each week. I’m excited to build on the legacies of past CEOs Bob Miller and Jim Donald who both laid a solid foundation for success, and look forward to working with our associates to realize the opportunities and navigate the challenges in our evolving industry.”
PepsiCo announced it is appointing Steven Williams as the new CEO of PepsiCo Foods, succeeding Sankaran, effective April 12. Williams is currently senior VP and chief commercial officer for Frito-Lay.
The supermarket retailer announced it has appointed Vivek Sankaran, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America, as president and CEO of Albertsons Companies, effective April 25, 2019. He succeeds veteran retailer Jim Donald, who has served in the role since September and will continue as co-chairman, with Leonard Laufer serving as the other co-chairman. The company’s longtime leader Robert Miller has been named chairman emeritus and will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors.
Sankaran joins Albertsons from PepsiCo Foods North America, where he has served as CEO since December 2018. Prior to that, he served as the company's president and COO, a position he was named to in 2016. During his ten-year career at PepsiCo, which he joined in 2009, Sankaran led Frito-Lay and also served as the chief commercial officer for PepsiCo North America, chief customer officer of Frito Lay, and as the senior VP of strategy for PepsiCo.
Before joining PepsiCo, Sankaran was a partner at McKinsey and Company.
Albertsons promoted Donald to CEO in September 2018, not long after the company and Rite Aid Corp. decided to terminate their $24 billion merger due to Rite Aid shareholder opposition. He joined Albertsons in March 2018 as president and COO, coming from Extended Stay America, where he served as CEO from 2012 to 2015.
Prior to that, Donald served as president and CEO of Haggen Inc. from 2009 to 2011. And before Haggen, he was with Starbucks Corp., where he spent six years, including serving as president and CEO of its North America Division, from 2005 to 2008.
"When I joined Albertsons Companies in 2018, I found a company that had a strong decentralized operating model, a fantastic leadership team and incredible potential to be the four-walls and no-walls leader in the grocery industry,” said Donald. “Over the past year, our team made our company’s nearly 2,300 stores even stronger as we sharpened our focus on the intersection of technology and service. I’m looking forward to the continued progress of the company under the seasoned leadership of Vivek.”
Donald added that the incoming CEO brings “a rare blend of CPG, retail, manufacturing, logistics, technology, and research and development to Albertsons Companies, all of which are key components to being a successful retailer in an omnichannel-driven environment, along with a keen understanding that the front line is directly linked to the bottom line."
Albertsons Companies operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City.
"It is a great privilege to join a company that has such deep roots in American retail,” said Sankaran. “Our stores are integral to the lives of millions of customers each week. I’m excited to build on the legacies of past CEOs Bob Miller and Jim Donald who both laid a solid foundation for success, and look forward to working with our associates to realize the opportunities and navigate the challenges in our evolving industry.”
PepsiCo announced it is appointing Steven Williams as the new CEO of PepsiCo Foods, succeeding Sankaran, effective April 12. Williams is currently senior VP and chief commercial officer for Frito-Lay.