PENN TRAFFIC ELEVATES PANASUK TO PRESIDENT, CEO
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Penn Traffic Co. here said last week Robert Panasuk has been named president and chief executive officer and Gregory J. Young has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer. The two have shared the title of co-chief operating officers for the past two months. Panasuk joined Penn Traffic in October after serving as executive vice president of A&P, responsible for merchandising, marketing and distribution for U.S. operations. Young, who had previously worked for Penn Traffic for 25 years, rejoined the company in July after stints at C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, N.H., as head of retail operations and at A&P as a group vice president. Panasuk succeeds Bob Chapman as CEO; Chapman resigned abruptly in October. Penn Traffic operates 111 supermarkets and supplies 122 independent customers in Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
KROGER ELECTS STAPLES CEO TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. here last week elected Ronald L. Sargent to the company's board of directors, bringing the total number of directors to 15. Sargent is chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Framingham, Mass., a leading office products company. He joined Staples as vice president of operations in 1989. Prior to that, Sargent spent 10 years in various positions at Kroger. In addition to serving as a director of Staples, Sargent is a director of Aramark Corp., Mattel and The Yankee Candle Co. Sargent is elected to serve until Kroger's annual meeting of shareholders in June 2007, at which time he will stand for election by the shareholders.
A&P NAMES PHILBERT SENIOR VP OF MERCHANDISING
MONTVALE, N.J. — Rebecca Philbert joined A&P here last week as senior vice president, merchandising, reporting directly to Eric Claus, president and chief executive officer. She succeeds Stephen Slade, who left the company. Philbert is responsible for leading the merchandising initiatives for the company's mainstream retail strategies. Philbert came to A&P from Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif., where she was most recently corporate vice president and a leader of the company's “Lifestyle Store” development project.
BRINGHURST JOINS ACME AS SENIOR VP OF MARKETING
MALVERN, Pa. — Blaine Bringhurst has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and merchandising for Acme Markets here, a division of Minneapolis-based Supervalu. Bringhurst most recently was vice president of sales and merchandising for Albertsons' Eastern Division, which included the Acme banner and Albertsons stores in Florida. Previously, he was director of category management for Acme and before that he was a store director for Albertsons. A native of Salt Lake City, Bringhurst has more than 25 years' experience in the grocery industry. Acme operates 129 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey.
GMA/FPA ADDS MCBRIDE, OPENSHAW TO STAFF
WASHINGTON — The Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association last month appointed Sean McBride to vice president of communications and Scott Openshaw to director of communications. Prior to joining GMA/FPA, McBride served as a communications consultant to several private and not-for-profit organizations, including the GMA and Porter Novelli public relations. He succeeds Richard Martin, who left the association in February. McBride is responsible for overseeing the merged association's marketing, strategic communications and media relations efforts. Scott Openshaw most recently served as director of communications for the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He succeeds Stephanie Childs, who left the association in September. He is responsible for GMA/FPA's policy communications and media relations efforts.
