EXECUTIVES TAKE THE FALL

Many of the executive changes in the supermarket industry in 2003 were related to the operating difficulties at food retailing and wholesaling companies. As companies sank into bankruptcy or navigated through other stormy conditions, company leaders either jumped ship or were thrown overboard.

of its Dillon Stores subsidiary, succeeding Bob Colvey, who retired.

FEBRUARY

Fresh Brands, Sheboygan, Wis., named S. Patric Plumley senior vice president, CFO, treasurer and secretary. He succeeded Armand Go, who had left in August 2002. Plumley most recently had been senior vice president, CFO, secretary and director at Eagle Food, Milan, Ill.

GroceryWorks, Pleasanton, Calif., named Mitchell Rhodes president of the online grocery concern, which is 50% owned by Safeway. He succeeded Gary Rocheleau, who rejoined Safeway. Rhodes with Gap, San Francisco.

Winn-Dixie, Jacksonville, Fla., named Mark Sellers president of the company's South Florida Division, succeeding Raymond Lunn, who left the company. Sellers remained president of the company's Central Florida Division.

MARCH

Ahold, Zaandam, Netherlands, named Henny de Ruiter acting CEO in the wake of the company's accounting scandal. He remained supervisory board chairman. He succeeded Cees van der Hoeven, who resigned as CEO. Michael Meurs, Ahold's CFO, also resigned. He was replaced on an interim basis by Dudley Eustace, chairman of Smith & Nephew, London.

Fleming Cos., Dallas, forced the resignation of CEO Mark S. Hansen. Peter S. Willmott also was named interim president and CEO. Willmott was chairman of Willmott Services, Chicago.

Spartan Stores, Grand Rapids, Mich., named Craig Sturken president and CEO, succeeding James B. Meyer. Sturken most recently was CEO of the Atlantic Region of A&P, Montvale, N.J.

Larry's Markets, Seattle, named Jackie Davidson CFO, succeeding Ron Matasich, who left to pursue other interests. Davidson had been CFO for Penford Corp., Englewood, Colo.

Ingles Markets, Asheville, N.C., named James W. Lanning president, succeeding Vaughn C. Fisher, who retired. Lanning most recently had been responsible for Ingles' stores in Georgia.

APRIL

Mark Gross was named president of GU Markets, Clifton Park, N.Y., which is an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Brattleboro, Vt.

Rite Aid, Camp Hill, Pa., named Mary Sammons chief executive officer, succeeding Bob Miller, who remained chairman. Sammons remained president.

Tony Schiano, president and CEO of Ahold's Giant-Carlisle banner, assumed those roles at Ahold's Tops banner as well. Frank Curci, who had been president and CEO at Tops, Williamsville, N.Y., was named to the newly created post of chief operating officer at Ahold's Giant-Landover chain.

MAY

Ahold named Anders Moberg acting CEO. He was the former president and CEO of IKEA Group, the Swedish furniture manufacturer and retailer.

The Food Marketing Institute named Liz Minyard chairman, making her the first female to lead the industry association. Minyard is co-chairwoman and co-chief executive of Minyard Food Stores, Dallas.

Tom Coughlin was named executive vice president and vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark. He previously headed the company's Wal-Mart Stores and Sam's Club divisions. Also, Mike Duke was named president of the Wal-Mart Stores division.

JUNE

Martin A. Fox resigned as CFO of Penn Traffic, Syracuse, N.Y. He had been a member of the company's executive management team since 1989. The company named Stephen Panagos chief restructuring officer, a new position.

Sobeys, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, named Michael A. Scott president, operations, for the company's Atlantic region. He succeeded John K. Lynn, who retired.

Kash n' Karry, the Tampa, Fla.-based division of Delhaize America, named Shelley G. Broader president and chief operating officer. She had been with Hannaford Bros., Scarborough, Maine, another Delhaize chain. She succeeded Michael Byars, who was pursuing other opportunities at Delhaize.

Ahold named Hannu Ryopponen CFO, succeeding Dudley Eustace, who had been servicing as acting CFO. Ryopponen had been finance director at Industri Kapital Group, London.

Save Mart Supermarkets, Modesto, Calif., named Bob Spengler president and chief operating officer. He had been vice president of the Food Maxx division. He succeeds Robert Picinini as president. Picinini remained chairman and CEO.

Kroger named David B. Dillon chief executive officer, succeeding Joseph A. Pichler, who remained chairman. Dillon had been chief operating officer of Kroger since 1995 and president since 1996. Don W. McGeorge succeeded Dillon and president and chief operating officer.

Frank Curci resigned as president and CEO of Tops Markets, Williamsville, N.Y., and as chief operating officer at Ahold's Giant-Landover chain.

JULY

Peter Lynch, president and chief operating officer at Albertsons, Boise, Idaho, resigned amid budget cuts. He was succeeded by Larry Johnston, chairman and chief executive officer.

AUGUST

Joseph Fisher, president and CEO, Penn Traffic, resigned. He was succeeded on an interim basis by Steven Panagos, who had previously been named chief restructuring officer.

Associated Food Stores, Salt Lake City, named Richard "Dick" King head of the co-op's corporately owned stores. King is a former president and chief operating officer of Albertsons.

Spartan Stores named Craig C. Sturken chairman, succeeding James B. Meyer, who retired. Sturken remained president and CEO.

Mike Proulx was named executive vice president and chief operating officer at Bashas' Markets, Chandler, Ariz., a new position. The company said he would succeed Wayne Manning, who was scheduled to retire as president at the end of 2003.

SEPTEMBER

Alan Levitan left as president and CEO of Kings Super Markets, Parsippany, N.J.

Fresh Brands named Richard C. Taggart president and CEO of Dick's Supermarkets. He succeeded Robert Brodbeck, who resigned for personal reasons, the company said. Taggart had been controller at Dick's.

Virgil Froehlich, CEO, Affiliated Foods Midwest, Norfolk, Neb., said he would retire on Jan. 1, 2004, after 27 years as the co-op's senior executive.

Henny de Ruiter, chairman of Ahold's supervisory board, said he would resign after the company's October shareholders' meeting.

Fresh Brands said S. Patric Plumley left the company as CFO, treasurer and secretary.

SimonDelivers, Golden Valley, Minn., named Christopher A. Brown CEO of the online grocer. He most recently had been executive vice president, merchandising, at Nash Finch, Minneapolis. At SimonDelivers he succeeded Simon Foster, the founder of the company, who remained chairman.

OCTOBER

Smart & Final, Los Angeles, named Etienne Snollaerts president and chief operating officer. He succeeded Ross Roeder as president. Roeder remained chairman and CEO. Snollaerts was an executive with France-based Groupe Casino, which owns 60% of Smart & Final.

Kings Super Markets named Jim Meister president, succeeding Alan Levitan.

Ahold named Lawrence Benjamin CEO of its U.S. Foodservice subsidiary, succeeding Jim Miller, who resigned earlier in the year. Robert Tobin had been serving as interim CEO. Benjamin most recently had been CEO, NutraSweet Co., Chicago.

NOVEMBER

Randall Onstead was named president of Safeway's Dominick's division in Chicago, succeeding Scott Grimmett, who became president of Safeway's Denver division. Onstead is the son of the co-founder of Randalls Food Markets, Houston, which Safeway acquired in 1998.

Fresh Brands said CEO Elwood Wynn left the company because of the board's dissatisfaction with the company's operating performance.

Nash Finch named Michael Lewis executive vice president and president of retail. Lewis most recently had been president of Conquest Management Corp., Toronto.

Foodarama, Freehold, N.J., named Richard Saker CEO. He most recently had been president and chief operating officer. He succeeded his father, Joseph Saker, who continued as chairman.

DECEMBER

Safeway said its CFO, Vasant Prabhu, resigned to become CFO and executive vice president at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, White Plains, N.Y. Prabhu also had been executive vice president and president of Safeway's e-commerce business.

Hy-Vee, West Des Moines, Iowa, named Ric Jurgens chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1. He remains president and succeeds Ron Pearson as CEO. Pearson remains chairman.