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BOISE, Idaho — Robert Miller, executive chairman of the parent company of Albertsons and Safeway, has taken on the additional title of chief executive officer.
Robert Miller, executive chairman of the parent company of Albertsons and Safeway, has taken on the additional title of chief executive officer.
He takes over in that role from Robert Edwards, who had been appointed CEO at the close of the acquisition of Safeway by AB Acquisition LLC, the parent company of Albertsons.
Edwards, who had been chairman and CEO of Safeway before the acquisition, will continue on with the company as vice chairman, providing counsel to the board and the organization on key strategic and integration matters, the company said.
"As CEO of Safeway, Robert made tough decisions that led to significant improvements in Safeway’s shareholder value and positioning the company for the future," Miller said in a statement. "The last year has been a time of great change for our companies, and we appreciate Robert’s leadership during this critical time."
Edwards said that working with Miller and others to bring the two companies together was a privilege, adding that he was proud of the foundation the teams have created for the future.
"We’ve made significant strides in the time since the merger has closed," he said, "and I feel comfortable turning my focus to other matters that will be of the best benefit to the company."
Albertsons also announced a restructuring of its executive leadership team, and the establishment of an "Office of the CEO" to support the day-to-day operations of the company’s 14 divisions and 2,200 stores. Besides Miller, the Office of the CEO will comprise Wayne Denningham, chief operating officer for all of the company’s regions; Justin Dye, chief administrative officer; and Shane Sampson, chief marketing and merchandising officer.
Jim Perkins and Kelly Griffith will continue to serve as executive vice presidents of operations for the company’s regions and will now report to Denningham.
Denningham began his career with Albertsons Inc. in 1977 as a courtesy clerk and worked his way up, ultimately serving as president of the Dallas-Fort Worth division. He joined Al-bertsons LLC in 2006, and led the Rocky Mountain and Florida divisions before being named president of the company’s Southern division in 2010. He was named president of the Southern California division in March 2013 and assumed his current role overseeing operations for the South region at the Safeway transaction close in January 2015.
Dye joined Albertsons LLC in 2006, playing an integral role in the acquisition and formation of the company and assuming the role of chief strategy officer. In 2013, he was named chief operating officer of New Albertson’s Inc. and assumed responsibility for leading the turnaround of the company’s pharmacy business across all banners, as well as for the Acme Markets, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s/Star Market chains. In February he was appointed chief administrative officer with responsibility for information technology, supply chain, corporate development, real estate and integration management.
Sampson built his career with Albertsons Inc., working his way up through the company’s ranks, culminating in serving as president of both the Florida and Intermountain divisions. He left the company in 2002 and spent several years with Sam’s Club, before returning to Albertsons LLC’s Southern division at its inception and serving as vice president of merchandising and marketing. He then left again to accept the role of senior vice president of sales and operations at Ahold’s Giant of Landover banner. Sampson rejoined the Al-
bertsons team in 2013 when he was tapped for president of Shaw’s and Star Market, and in 2014 he moved to Chicago upon being named president of Jewel-Osco. In January 2015 he was appointed executive vice president of marketing and merchandising.
AB Acquisition, the parent company of Albertsons LLC, New Albertson’s Inc. and Safeway Inc., is owned by a consortium led by Cerberus Capital Management.
