Sponsored By

Mary Beth West named to Albertsons Cos. board

Veteran CPG executive brings deep food industry, marketing and retail experience

Russell Redman

November 2, 2020

2 Min Read
Albertsons_storefront-Savon_pharmacy.jpg
Albertsons’ board now has 14 members, led by Co-Chairmen Leonard Laufer and James Donald — the company's former president and CEO — and Vice Chairman Kevin Turner.Albertsons

Longtime consumer packaged goods (CPG) executive Mary Beth West has joined the board of directors at Albertsons Cos.

Most recently, West served as senior vice president and chief growth officer at The Hershey Co. She retired from the company in January after nearly three years in the role.

“Mary Beth is one of the most accomplished leaders in marketing and retail today, and I am delighted to have her join our board of directors,” Vivek Sankaran, president and CEO of Albertsons Cos., said in a statement.

Mary_Beth_West-Hershey-Albertsons.jpg

West (left) started her career in 1986 at Kraft Foods, and over 21 years of working on such iconic food brands as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Oreo and Maxwell House, she rose to chief marketing officer in 2007. With Kraft’s 2012 spinoff of its snack foods division as Mondelez International, West joined the new company executive vice president and chief category and marketing officer, serving in the post through 2014. She then joined department store chain J.C. Penney Co. in 2015, after having served on their board of directors from November 2005 to May 2015.

After J.C. Penney, West went to Hershey in May 2017 as senior vice president and chief growth officer, driving the company’s growth and marketing strategies as well as communication, disruptive innovation, research and development, and mergers and acquisitions. Albertsons noted that she spurred the expansion of Hershey’s product offerings from chocolate and candy into snack categories.

Related:Albertsons sees identical sales up 13.8%, digital sales jump 243% in Q2

In addition, West serves as a director on the board at Hasbro, a position she has held since June 2016.

“Her expertise in the food industry as well as her skill in driving innovation and consumer engagement will lend added depth and dimension to how our team builds lasting relationships with our customers,” according to Sankaran, who has served on Albertsons’ board since becoming president and CEO in April 2019. He joined the grocer from PepsiCo Foods North America, where he was CEO.

Albertsons’ board now has 14 members, led by Co-Chairmen Leonard Laufer and James Donald — who served as president and CEO before Sankaran — and Vice Chairman Kevin Turner. In late June, upon Albertsons’ completion of its initial public offering, Chairman Emeritus Robert Miller, who preceded Donald as the retailer’s CEO, stepped down as a board director. Miller became chairman emeritus with Sankaran’s appointment as CEO.

The nation’s second-largest supermarket operator, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operates 2,252 food and drug stores — including 1,726 pharmacies and 402 fuel centers — in 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 banners, such as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. The company also has 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing plants.

Related:Albertsons names Omer Gajial to lead pharmacy, health care

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News