Sobeys Realigns Divisions; Jewer Named CFO

JON SPRINGER

STELLARTON, Nova Scotia — Sobeys here said that it would split its organization into two separate business units, each led by a president of operations. The company also said that it had named Francois Vimard, its chief financial officer, to a new role as executive vice president and promoted Paul Jewer as its new CFO.

The new business units will comprise IGA Operations and Multi-Format Operations.

The former group consists of IGA and IGA Extra, Les Marches Tradition, Marche Bonichoix and Rachelle-Bery stores in Quebec, which will be led by Marc Poulin.

The Multi-Format Group, which includes Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, Sobeys Urban Fresh, Foodland, IGA (Western Canada), FreshCo, Needs, Fast Fuel and Sobeys Liquor, will be headed by Jason Potter. Potter was formerly president of Sobeys’ Atlantic Region operations, and will report to Vimard.

“We have made these changes as a confident, proactive accelerant of our strategy to optimize our performance in an increasingly competitive environment,” Bill McEwan, president and chief executive officer of Sobeys, said in a statement.