QUINCY, Mass. -- Stop & Shop Cos. here said last week William J. Grize, president and chief operating officer, has added the title of chief executive officer.
Both Stop & Shop and Tops are subsidiaries of Ahold, Zaandam, Netherlands. A Stop & Shop official said Tobin will oversee Tops until a permanent president and CEO is hired there, after which he will return to Stop & Shop full-time.
Grize has been with Stop & Shop since 1967, moving up through the ranks of its Connecticut division before being named executive vice president of retailing in 1993, executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1994, and president and chief operating officer in 1996.
According to Tobin, "Bill and I have worked together for 30 years, and we share the same philosophy of what it takes to run a successful company. Our core belief of treating people with respect and dignity is a philosophy we have shared for decades." Grize's appointment was one of several changes in senior management that Tobin said are part of the company's "long, proud tradition of succession planning [that] will further strengthen our organization and position us well for future growth and development." The other changes include the following:
Marc E. Smith, 44, formerly executive vice president of sales and marketing, has been named executive vice president of retailing, responsible for all sales and procurement activities and marketing in the Boston and Connecticut sales divisions; he also oversees new ventures. The position of vice president of retailing had been vacant since 1994, when Grize was named chief operating officer. Smith continues to report to Grize.
Gerald F. Friedler, 58, previously vice president for Efficient Consumer Response and general merchandise, is now in the new position of vice president of category management initiatives for Ahold USA, responsible for directing initiatives at Stop & Shop; Tops; Bi-Lo, Mauldin, S.C.; and Giant Food Stores, Carlisle, Pa. Friedler reports to Grize.
Mike Bettencourt, 47, formerly director of category management development, has been appointed vice president for ECR, succeeding Friedler. Bettencourt reports to Don Sussman, newly appointed senior vice president of nonperishables.
Don Sussman, 43, who was vice president of grocery and meat, is now senior vice president of nonperishables. He takes over Friedler's former responsibilities for general merchandise and continues to report to Smith.
George Pauley, 55, previously vice president of produce sales/procurement and perishables concepts, has been named senior vice president for perishables, a new position that incorporates meat (formerly part of Sussman's responsibility) and bakery. He continues to report to Smith.