MINNEAPOLIS — After announcing a restructuring of senior leadership in late summer, Supervalu Inc. has promoted a pair of executives to fill vacancies that recently opened up in two key positions.

After announcing a restructuring of senior leadership in late summer, Supervalu Inc. has promoted a pair of executives to fill vacancies that recently opened up in two key positions.

Janel Haugarth has been named president of independent business and business optimization, replacing Leon Bergmann, who left the company October 19.

About a month earlier, Supervalu announced the appointment of Kathy Persian as senior vice president and chief information officer. The supermarket retailer and wholesaler named Persian to the CIO post with the departure of Wayne Shurts.

Bergmann joined Supervalu in January 2011 as group vice president of independent sales, marketing and merchandising and was named president of the organization in July of that year.

Shurts had served as executive vice president and CIO since coming to the company in April 2010. He joined food service distributor Sysco Corp. as executive vice president and chief technology officer in early October.

A 35-year Supervalu veteran, Haugarth returns to the independent business organization, where she brings knowledge and leadership in serving the more than 2,000 independent supermarkets that the company supplies. Haugarth retains her role in leading Supervalu’s business optimization efforts.

"Janel is able to step right into the position and bring an immediate wealth of experience, strong retailer relationships and a tremendous passion for our independent business, having spent the majority of her career in this area," chairman and chief executive officer Wayne Sales stated. "We are confident in her ability and the skills she brings to this role during this critical time in our company’s turnaround."

Haugarth was named executive vice president for business optimization and process improvement, a newly created post, as part of a leadership realignment that Supervalu unveiled in late August. In that role she is responsible for strategies to make the company a leaner, more efficient organization. Haugarth previously was Supervalu’s chief merchant, with the company promoting her to executive vice president of merchandising and logistics in January 2011 from the position of executive vice president, president and chief operating officer of supply chain services to replace Steve Jungmann, who left the company.

As CIO, Persian will direct Supervalu’s information technology activities. Most recently group vice president of corporate planning, analysis and business process, she joined Supervalu in February 2010 as group vice president of retail and merchandising systems. Before that, she spent over 20 years at Accenture and Best Buy in such areas as IT, general retail, retail operations, merchandising, supply chain and finance. “Kathy has held roles within Supervalu that have allowed her to become familiar with both the business and information technology sides of the company,” Sales stated.

Under the realignment announced in August, Supervalu named Kevin Holt to an expanded role as president of Supervalu Retail, promoted Tim Lowe to executive vice president of merchandising, and consolidated logistics and procurement leadership under senior vice president of supply chain Fred Boehler.