Albertsons Companies has announced the appointment of a new CEO last week – as Robert Miller moves to focus exclusively on his Chairman role. Effective immediately, Albertsons’ current president Jim Donald will assume the role of Chief executive and president. “Jim is an exceptional retailer – Miller said -. In the seven months since he joined Albertsons Companies, he’s flown tens of thousands of miles and met personally with thousands of employees in hundreds of our stores, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and offices around the country”.
JIM DONALD’S CAREER
Donald’s 47-year retail career began as a trainee in Florida with Publix Supermarkets. He joined Albertsons in 1976, eventually working his way up to vice president of operations in Arizona. In 1991, Donald was recruited personally by Sam Walton to join Walmart to lead the development of their grocery business and Superstore concept. Donald assumed his first Chief Executive Officer role at Pathmark Stores from 1996 through 2002, followed by his most well-known appointment – president and CEO at Starbucks. There, Donald led the company through record growth, including five straight years of more than 20 percent annual earnings increases.
THE FOOTPRINT OF ALBERTSONS
“Albertsons Companies is uniquely positioned to operate in both a ‘four walls’ traditional environment and the ‘no walls’ world of technology – Donald said -. We serve 34 million customers each week across our 2,300-plus stores and serve 5.5 million patients in our 1,700-plus pharmacies. That’s a significant food, health, and wellness footprint. We’re well positioned to serve the evolving needs of today’s customer, wherever and whenever they choose to shop with us”.