Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
Just over six years ago, Empire embarked on a transformation journey to fix a challenged business.
Taking advantage of scale, the company centralized its structure and processes, shifted from defense to offence, and ultimately solidified its position as a leading national grocery retailer.
“It took a lot of hard work, but we successfully completed two major transformations, made the right investments, and established the foundation we need for the next chapter of our journey. Our turnaround era is now complete and we now have the teams, assets, and capabilities to thrill our customers and win. Looking forward, we have set a bold, long-term ambition to become the best retailer in Canada, supported by our new three-year plan named Project ‘Altitude’. As we embark on this next phase of our journey, the time is right to reset our structure to enable our go-forward plans and invest in our next generation of leaders. In doing this, our objective is to remove bureaucracy, streamline decision-making, and become more agile as we enhance our ‘stores-first’ focus” says Michael Medline President and CEO.
The company has announced the following changes to our leadership structure: Julia Knox has been promoted to Chief Technology and Analytics Officer (CTAO). This is a new executive role that will be responsible for IT & Technology, Enterprise Data, Advanced Analytics and Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO).
Knox’s responsibilities cover • Information Technology, led by Bruce Burrows, SVP and Chief Information Officer. • Enterprise Data Office, led by Rupinder Dhillon, VP, Enterprise Data Office. • Advanced Analytics, led by Mark Babij, VP, Advanced Analytics. • Analytics & Insights, led by Nicolas Larivière, VP, Analytics & Insights. • EPMO, led by Danielle Amirault, VP, EPMO, Strategy Execution & Risk Management.
Pierre St-Laurent will continue as Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to Medline. Throughout his career at Empire, St-Laurent has demonstrated outstanding leadership and business acumen to enable the business to thrive. He will continue to oversee Merchandising, Operations and Supply Chain functions, covering Full-Service, Quebec, Community, Discount, and E-Commerce.
Mohit Grover has been appointed SVP, E-Commerce. Mohit joined us in 2019 from Google to stand up our Strategy function and build data and advanced analytics capabilities from the ground up. He has been an exceptionally creative and innovative leader who has been highly successful at scaling these teams and building our capabilities. He has also led the corporate Sustainability team since 2020 and was instrumental in the development of Empire’s Climate Action Plan and Net Zero emissions targets.
Grover will bring his digital and analytics expertise to our E-Commerce business, charting the next phase of Voilà’s growth.
Sarah Joyce has been appointed SVP, Discount. She will take on this larger role after an exceptional five years at Empire, where she has led the successful launch and growth of the Voilà business. UnderJoyce’s leadership, the company has built Canada’s best E-Commerce offering and have expanded across the country in a short period of time.
Mike Venton has been appointed SVP, Execution Strategy and will continue to report to St-Laurent. In this role, Venton will bring his decades of industry experience to provide support to Pierre and the COO team and drive the ‘Win in Grocery’ strategy forward. His commitment to stores-first and unwavering support for his teammates have contributed to many accomplishments in Discount.
After 24 years at Empire, Vivek Sood has plans to retire in the next fiscal year and now is the right time for Related Businesses to come under the COO structure. Sood has done a great job leading Related Businesses (Pharmacy, Fuel & Convenience, Liquor, Wholesale, Big 8) over the last six-plus years, resulting in tremendous growth and performance. He will continue as EVP, Related Businesses and will work closely with St-Laurent through this transition.
Sandra Sanderson has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). She will be responsible for all Marketing functions for banners and brands in both English Canada and Quebec, completing the company’s evolution from regional structures to a national organization. Sanderson has lead the highly successful launch of the new Scene+ loyalty program to help reshape how the company engages with customers in stores and through digital channels.
Carl Pichette will now report directly to Sanderson. Doug Nathanson will continue as Chief Development Officer (CDO) and General Counsel. He will continue to oversee Legal, Corporate Strategy & Development, Real Estate, and Communications & Corporate Affairs.
In addition to these changes, Strategic Sourcing will be moved to the CDO structure with Sean Ramnarine reporting to Nathanson. Sustainability will be moved to the CDO structure and will report into Kristi Lalach, VP, Legal & Associate General Counsel. Simon Gagné will continue as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). He will continue to oversee all HR functions. Matt Reindel will continue as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will continue to oversee financial and accounting functions, covering all aspects of Empire businesses.
“This group of leaders will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve our bold ambition to become the best retailer in Canada. Their extensive experience and accomplishments will undoubtedly enrich our teams and bring fresh perspectives that will propel our growth. These leadership changes will be effective by July 31st and our leadership team will work through the transition with their teams through the remainder of the summer. In addition, we will be evolving our leadership governance structure, creating a newly formed Operating Committee (in place of the former Executive Committee). The role of the Operating Committee will be to review business performance and oversee strategic priorities. We are embarking on this next phase of our journey with an exceptional leadership team, as well as the talents and dedication of all 131,000 teammates across the country. I am extremely energized and confident about the future of this great company, and I believe more than ever that the best is yet to come”, says Medline.
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