Albertsons Appoints Pepsi's Jennifer Saenz as EVP and Chief Merchant

Albertsons Cos. this morning said PepsiCo veteran Jennifer Saenz would join the company as its EVP and chief merchandising officer effective July 12.

Geoff White, Albertsons’ current EVP and chief merchandising officer, remains with the company but has taken a leave of absence, a spokesman told WGB.

Saenz, who since 2019 has served as global chief marketing officer and president, global foods, for Pepsi, will be responsible for all areas of merchandising within the Albertsons Cos., including Own Brands. Saenz will also be responsible for strengthening the company’s relationships with its brand partners, the retailer said. She will report to Vivek Sankaran, president and CEO. Sankaran is also a veteran of Pepsi, having joined the Boise, Idaho-based retailer in April 2019. In 2020, Albertsons appointed Alice Chan, also a Pepsi veteran, as VP of sales and marketing for own brands.

“We’re excited to welcome Jennifer to the Albertsons team,” Sankaran said in a statement. “A commitment to serving our customers with a broad and differentiated assortment of products is a key aspect of our transformation strategy. Jennifer’s extensive global industry experience and proven track record of driving growth through marketing, analytics and product innovation, grounded in a deep understanding of the consumer, will allow her to make significant contributions to our business and elevate the Albertsons brand for our customers, brand partners and associates.”

Saenz, 43, has over 15 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods sector, holding roles of increasing responsibility within PepsiCo since 2005. In her current role with Pepsi, Saenz oversaw the $30 billion PepsiCo Foods portfolio. From 2015 to 2019, Saenz was SVP and chief merchandising officer of PepsiCo Foods North America, where she accelerated growth and drove innovation for the $16 billion snacking portfolio. From 2009 to 2015, she held a number of brand and customer marketing positions within Frito-Lay.

“I am honored to join Albertsons, and to work with Vivek and the company’s talented management team,” said Saenz. “Albertsons is undertaking a transformation that is further strengthening its position as an industry leader focused on deepening its relationship with customers. I am excited to leverage my experience and partner with our vendors to continue providing great products and great value to our customers.”

Saenz graduated from The Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in Atlanta with a Bachelor of Business Administration and received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Saenz has been recognized for her professional accomplishments through a number of awards, including Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2018, Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Marketing in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and AdWeek’s Brand Genius Award in 2017.

White, 55, has been Albertsons’ EVP and chief merchant since September 2019. He previously was president of Albertsons’ own brands division since April 2017. Prior to that, White was SVP of marketing and merchandising for the Northern California Division from 2015 to April 2017. From 2004 to 2015, White held various leadership roles, including director of Canadian produce operations, at Safeway Inc. White started his career as a general clerk at Safeway in Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1981.

Albertsons operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well-known banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.