Dive Brief:
- Gelson’s Markets announced Thursday the appointment of two former Albertsons executives as its new chief operations officer and chief merchandising and marketing officer.
- The Southern California grocery chain named John Barker as its COO and Rick Williams as CMO.
- Gelson’s is tapping more Albertsons veterans with its latest appointments, which follow a string of top executive changes in recent months, including replacing its president and CEO.
Dive Insight:
Barker and Williams each have nearly 40 years of grocery industry experience and both have spent a significant amount of their careers in the Southern California grocery market.
Barker most recently served as senior director of sales support for Albertsons in Southern California, leading teams in asset protection, construction, maintenance, food safety and more, according to the press release. Barker held that position for nearly three years and, prior to that, worked as Albertsons’ senior director for sales support and retail operations, per his LinkedIn profile.
Williams’ career has focused primarily on store operations, merchandising and marketing, the announcement noted. Williams, like Barker, also formerly worked for Albertsons in Southern California, serving as the grocer’s area vice president of operations.
Gelson’s said its string of executive moves is part of ongoing efforts to “strengthen its leadership team and drive future growth,” per the press release.
In April, the regional grocer replaced John Bagan with Albertsons veteran Ryan Adams as its CEO and president. Earlier this month, four top executives departed from Gelson’s, including the company’s chief information and supply chain officer.
