Dive Brief:
- Albertsons’ top retail media executive Kristi Argyilan has departed and is now serving as Uber’s global head of advertising, according to an email from Albertsons to Grocery Dive.
- The company said Omer Gajial, the grocer’s chief merchandising and digital officer, will serve as the interim head of its retail media arm, Albertsons Media Collective.
- This executive change comes just a few months after Albertsons Media Collective onboarded three new senior executives.
Dive Insight:
Argyilan has helmed Albertsons Media Collective since its inauguration in 2021, when it became a fully in-house network. Under her leadership, the retail media business has become one of the most advanced in the grocery industry.
During her nearly four years with the company as senior vice president of retail media, Argyilan was at the forefront of establishing industry-wide retail media standardizations, expanding connected TV capabilities and advancing Albertsons’ use of AI with advertising.
Uber announced the appointment of Argyilan in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.
Gajial, who has served in numerous senior executive roles for Albertsons since 2020, will usher Albertons Media Collective into the new year. Prior to joining the grocery company, Gajial worked in leadership roles at Amazon and PepsiCo, per his LinkedIn profile.
“The business group has been a key driver of organizational growth and innovation, and this focus will remain unchanged as the team continues to deliver industry-leading retail media solutions in the coming year and beyond,” he said in an emailed statement.
Gajial will lead Albertsons Media Collective until a new successor is appointed, according to the company, which did not give a timeframe for when it plans to name a permanent leader.
