CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has appointed Heyward Donigan chief executive officer. Donigan was most recently president and CEO of Sapphire Digital (formerly Vitals), which designs and develops omnichannel platforms that help consumers choose their best-fit health care providers. At Rite Aid she succeeds John Standley, who had announced in March that he would be stepping down from his role at the company.

Donigan’s appointment “is an important step in positioning Rite Aid for the future, and we are confident that Heyward is the right person to lead the company in capitalizing on the opportunities in the evolving health care environment,” said chairman Bruce Bodaken. “Over the past several months the Rite Aid board conducted a thorough search, and Heyward’s strong senior executive experience, proven leadership capabilities and consistent track record of driving profitable growth, as well as her broad health care knowledge and digital shopping technology expertise, set her apart.

“Her skill set will be invaluable as we work to deliver on the full potential of our business and create additional long-term value for our shareholders, associates, customers and patients.”

“I am deeply honored to have been selected to lead a company with such a strong brand, deep culture and dedicated team of associates,” remarked Donigan. “I see tremendous opportunity to revitalize the company’s position as a leader in meeting the health and wellness needs of customers and patients through our store and pharmacy benefit management platforms. I look forward to working with the talented Rite Aid team as we continue to support the needs of our customers and patients and drive growth, improved performance and shareholder value.”

Donigan is a recognized leader with 30 years of experience in all aspects of the health care industry. She has a passion for building and developing strong teams to deliver innovative offerings in the market. Since 2015, she had led Sapphire Digital’s strategy and operations to record growth and consumer engagement.