CHICAGO -- IGA here said it has realigned its corporate structure into three separate operating entities to better manage its global network.
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Three IGA executives were promoted to head each division: Vincent Kong, senior vice president, Asia, to president, IGA Asia; Duane N. Martin, executive vice president, IGA, to president, IGA North America; and Paulo G. Goelzer, senior vice president, IGA International, to president, IGA Southern Hemisphere/Europe/Caribbean.
Each position will report to Thomas Haggai, IGA chairman and chief executive officer. "Flattening the organization will best utilize the talent of IGA's team and provide closer connections with our retailers around the world," Haggai explained. "Even more important is our goal of easing the process for the manufacturing community to do business with the IGA system.
"As IGA passes its 75th anniversary, our focus is on facing the future with an aggressive commitment to our retailers around the globe.
"These three leaders have so many years ahead of them, thus assuring the leadership of IGA for future generations."
Haggai, 70, told SN he is not contemplating retirement for at least five years.
In his new post, Kong, 45, will be responsible for day-to-day operations of 356 stores in Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea, IGA said. He will also oversee new business development in Asia and will continue to serve as dean of IGA University, the Singapore-based joint venture between IGA and Coca-Cola Co. that offers skills training.
Kong joined IGA in 1993 after serving as director of the Singapore Retailers Association and Institute for Retailing.
IGA said Martin, 34, will oversee 1,732 stores in the United States -- and coordinate with 591 stores in IGA Canada -- with a focus on increasing unity and cooperation among IGA's North American retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, and with responsibility for developing strategies to better leverage IGA's size and brand equity.
Martin, whose family operates an IGA store in Tennessee, joined IGA in January 1997 after working for Supervalu, Minneapolis, in its J.M. Jones division and Cub Foods operation. Under his leadership, IGA has launched a standards program for its U.S. stores, with a similar process due for its U.S.-based distribution partners.
Goelzer, 40, will be responsible for 1,467 IGA stores in the Southern Hemisphere, encompassing Australia, Africa and South America, plus Europe and the Caribbean, with responsibilities to continue developing the infrastructure of retail systems within those countries.
IGA said Goelzer joined IGA in 1995 as a consultant and has been instrumental in developing IGA operations in Brazil and Poland; earlier in his career, he was the senior strategy consultant for food and packaged goods for Wurttemberg, a German consulting group in his native Brazil.
