EXECUTIVE CHANGE: WINN-DIXIE NAMES OTTOLINO VICE PRESIDENT OF PHARMACY...GIANT EAGLE'S PORTER NAMED TO VSDA BOARD

Dan Alaimo

WINN-DIXIE NAMES OTTOLINO VICE PRESIDENT OF PHARMACY

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores here recently named Alfred J. Ottolino as vice president of pharmacy, a newly created position, said Kathy Lussier, spokeswoman. In his new position, Ottolino will be responsible for overall coordination and management of the company's pharmacy operations, including strategic planning, team management development, inventory control and negotiation, and development of third-party relationships and professional services. Ottolino previously held the position of pharmacy division vice president at Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J. He had spent seven years at Dominick's Finer Foods, Oak Brook, Ill., as pharmacy manager and left as director of pharmacy, prior to his tenure at Wakefern. "Fred's far-reaching experience in every aspect of the pharmacy field will be a major asset for Winn-Dixie," said Dick Judd, senior vice president of supply chain and merchandising,. Ottolino will report to Judd.

GIANT EAGLE'S PORTER NAMED TO VSDA BOARD

LAS VEGAS -- For only the fourth time in the last dozen years, a supermarket executive has been named to serve on the board of directors of the Video Software Dealers Association, Encino, Calif. During the VSDA show late last month, Chuck Porter, director, Iggle Entertainment and Video, the home video operation of Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, was appointed to the VSDA board, said Bo Andersen, president of VSDA. There are 15 board members -- eight elected from the ranks of independent video retailers and seven appointed -- representing various retail channels and industry segments, he said. "I think we are overdue to have participation from the supermarket industry [on the board]. We went out of our way to reach out to the supermarket industry because it is an important segment to video," Andersen told SN at the show. "I'm very honored to serve as a new member of the board of directors of VSDA," said Porter. "I was very impressed with the amount of diversity on the board in terms of different classes of trade and businesses, and we are bringing the grocery industry into it." Previous supermarket board members have come from H-E-B, Price Chopper and Stop & Shop.