TOPS NAMES DARRINGTON NEW CFO
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Tops Markets here has named former Pathmark executive Kevin Darrington as its senior vice president and chief financial officer. Darrington most recently served as a senior vice president and chief accounting officer for Pathmark Stores. At Tops, Darrington will be responsible for the direction, control and coordination of all finance and information technology activities for Tops, which is rebuilding those functions as it decouples from control of Ahold's Giant-Carlisle division. At Pathmark, Darrington was responsible for the company's accounting functions, including Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and tax compliance. Darrington previously served as CFO for Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy.
DUANE READE NAMES LEDERER CHAIRMAN, CEO
NEW YORK — John Lederer, the former president of Canadian grocery giant Loblaw Cos., has been named chairman and chief executive officer of drug chain Duane Reade Holdings here. David W. D'Arezzo, who has been serving as interim CEO at Duane Reade since its former CEO, Rick Dreiling, left for Dollar General, resumes his duties as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Lederer served at Toronto-based Loblaw for 30 years and was named president there in 2001. He resigned in 2006 as part of a management shakeup. Tyler J. Wolfram, a director of Duane Reade and a partner in Oak Hill Capital Partners, the private equity group that owns the 218-store retailer, in a statement called Lederer “one of the finest executives in the retail industry.”
GMA NAMES HARLEY DIRECTOR OF FEDERAL AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON — Cal Dooley, president and chief executive officer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has announced the appointment of Eileen Harley as director of federal affairs, reporting to Scott Faber, vice president for federal affairs. Harley most recently served as director of government relations for the Food Marketing Institute, where she planned and implemented lobbying activities and strategies on food retail industry issues, including food safety, health care and pharmacy. Prior to joining FMI, she spent seven years working with the professional staff of the House of Representatives.
TREE OF LIFE NAMES LEONARD SENIOR VP
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Greg Leonard has been named natural food sales senior vice president at specialty food distributor Tree of Life. Leonard began his career at Tree of Life in 1974 and until 1986 was responsible for the company's purchasing activity, including bulk foods. In the mid-1980s, he moved into a number of marketing roles, including vice president of merchandising, supervising the development and marketing of Tree of Life's company-owned natural and organic brands. Reporting to Leonard are four vice presidents of sales, Mike Weger, Midwest; Walter Hill, Southwest; Gary Messmore, Southeast; and Scott McNamara, Northeast.
SAFEWAY ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGES
PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has announced that Des Hague, president of perishables, has decided to leave the company to pursue other business opportunities. He will be succeeded by Kelly Griffith, who was most recently president of Safeway's Portland division. Griffith joined Safeway 28 years ago in the Seattle division, and after holding a range of retail store management positions was promoted to Safeway's corporate retail operations team in 1999. He was named a vice president the following year, and in 2001 was promoted to vice president, retail operations, in the Seattle division. He returned to the corporate office as senior vice president, produce and floral, in 2004. He has been Portland division president since 2005. The company also announced the following additional retail management changes: Steve Frisby, currently president of Safeway's Texas division, will replace Griffith as Portland division president, and Tom Schwilke, currently group vice president, produce and floral, becomes the new division president in Texas.
