Minneapolis, Minn., USA - July 31, 2012, Minneapolis, Minn., USA - Supervalu, a grocery stores chain, announced that Wayne C. Sales has been named president and chief executive officer.
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Mr. Sales has been a director of Supervalu since 2006 and non-executive chairman of the Board since 2010. He was named Chief executive officer of Supervalu in July 2012. He is the retired vice chairman of Canadian Tire Corporation Limited which he led as chief executive officer and president from 2000 to 2006.
Mr. Sales' retail executive experience spans more than 35 years. Prior to joining Canadian Tire in 1991, he served in several senior leadership positions with the U.S. division of Kmart Corporation in the areas of marketing, merchandising and store operations.
Mr. Sales is a director and chair of the Compensation Committee of Tim Hortons Inc. He recently retired from his other board positions with Georgia Gulf Corp and Discovery Air Inc. He will continue to serve as chairman of the Board. Mr. Sales is replacing Craig R. Herkert.
Mr. Herkert has been the Chief Executive Officer of Supervalu Inc. since May 2009 and has been its President since August 2009. He serves as Vice President of Distribucion y Servicio S.A. He has more than 30 years of retail experience. He served as the President and CEO of The Americas, Wal-Mart International Division of Wal-Mart Canada Corp.
Mr. Herkert served as an Executive Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores, as an Executive Vice President and COO of the International Division of Wal Mart Stores, and as Senior Vice President and OO of Wal-Mart International.
Prior to joining Wal-Mart, he spent 23 years with the American Stores and Albertsons companies. He served as President of Acme Markets and started his grocery career at a Jewel-Osco store in Chicago. Mr. Herkert graduated from St. Francis College with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. He holds an MBA from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois.
The company also announced that cirector Philip L. Francis has been elected lead director.
Mr. Francis has been a Director of PetSmart since June 1989. He served as Executive Chairman from June 2009 until his retirement in January 2012. He served as our Chief Executive Officer from March 1998 to June 2009.
In September 1999, Mr. Francis was also named Chairman of the Board, and from 1998 to 2001, he was also the President of PetSmart. From 1991 to 1998, he held various positions with Shaw's Supermarkets, a subsidiary of J Sainsbury plc, including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and President. ■