Jim Donald to continue as co-chairman of the board

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. announced Friday that Vivek Sankaran, chief executive officer of PepsiCo Foods, North America, has been named the new president and CEO of Albertsons Cos., effective April 25. Jim Donald, currently the company’s president and CEO, will continue as co-chairman of the board, 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.

Vivek Sankaran

“When I joined Albertsons Cos. 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. We continue to be well positioned to serve the evolving needs of today’s customer, where, how and when they choose to shop with us.”

Continued Donald, “Vivek brings a rare blend of CPG, retail, manufacturing, logistics, technology, and research and development to Albertsons Cos., all of which are key components to being a successful retailer in an omnichannel-driven environment. Moreover, Vivek has the keen understanding that the front line is directly linked to the bottom line, and I’m confident he will inspire and engage our 270,000 associates across our stores, support offices, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers.”

“It is a great privilege to join a company that has such deep roots in American retail,” said Sankaran. “Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel Osco, Shaw’s, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs — all of these banners and more in the Albertsons Cos. family of stores have hundreds of years of combined history. 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.”

“I’ve known Vivek for many years. He has always impressed me, not only with his exceptional work at Frito-Lay in managing the many facets of a multibillion-dollar food business, but also with his ability to work with and develop people,” said Miller. “I couldn’t be happier to leave Albertsons Cos. in Vivek’s hands.”