Portnoy, Eckstein Out in Winn-Dixie Shake-Up

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores here on Wednesday announced a series of management changes including the resignation of Dan Portnoy, its chief merchandising and marketing officer, and the retirement of Frank Eckstein, the retailer’s senior vice president of retail operations.

Laurence Appel, who joined Winn-Dixie in 2002 and formerly served as general counsel, corporate secretary and senior vice president of human resources, has been named to succeed Eckstein. The company said Eckstein will continue to serve in an advisory capacity until the end of the fiscal year.

Timothy Williams will succeed Appel as general counsel, and Anita Dahlstrom-Gutel will now serve as senior vice president of human resources, the company added. Williams, who has been with Winn-Dixie since 2003, most recently served as assistant general counsel. Dahlstrom-Gutel joined the company two years ago as vice president of human resources and talent acquisition/management.

“Larry has tremendous experience with Winn-Dixie and in retail in general, having worked at Winn-Dixie for nearly a decade and at Home Depot prior to that," said Peter Lynch, chief executive officer. "I am confident he will make a very positive impact on the management of our stores as we continue to execute our strategic initiatives and lay the foundation for our future growth.”

Portnoy, a former chief executive of Kings Super Markets, was appointed to his post in 2007 and was charged with leading Winn-Dixie’s effort to remodel stores and adopt neighborhood marketing strategies. His duties will be performed by Mary Kellmanson, group vice president of marketing; Matt Gutermuth, group vice president, non-perishables, pricing and corporate brands; James Smits, group vice president of perishables; and John Fegan, vice president of pharmacy. All four will report to Lynch.

“I want to thank both Frank and Dan for their many contributions, and especially their efforts to build very capable teams that are well-prepared to support the company as we execute our strategic initiatives and drive the business forward,” Lynch said in a statement.