Longtime Giant Eagle CEO Laura Karet out after decade in the role

Giant Eagle, Inc. announced the appointment of Bill Artman as the company’s new interim CEO, replacing Laura Karet, who was at the helm for 11 years .

Artman most recently served as President of Supermarkets, overseeing supply chain operations, retail innovation, real estate and construction, retail operations, merchandising, independent retailing/non-banner, and culinary operations. Artman will assume day-to-day leadership responsibilities for Giant Eagle and succeeds Karet, who the board determined to separate pursuant to her contract.

Artman is well positioned to lead Giant Eagle during this time, having been with the company for nearly 40 years. In addition to President of Supermarkets, he has served in various leadership roles, including Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President Retail Operations. He has a vast understanding of the business and a trusted reputation for his leadership and integrity among all Giant Eagle team members, customers, vendors and various business and community partners.

Giant Eagle also has appointed current Lead Independent Director Bart Friedman as Chair of the Board. Friedman has served on the board for over two years and will be the first non-family chair in Giant Eagle’s history. Together, Artman and Friedman will bring strong leadership to Giant Eagle.

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“We are pleased to welcome Bill into this new role,” said Bart Friedman, chair of the Giant Eagle Board. “Bill has been a valued member of the Giant Eagle team for nearly 40 years, and we are more than confident he is the right leader for the next phase of this storied company. His experiences throughout his career with Giant Eagle give him a deep understanding of the unique heritage of this business and position him well to drive toward future growth and continue in our proud tradition of commitment to serving our team members, customers and communities. We’re proud to see someone like him rise through our organization as a leader after starting his career bagging groceries as a customer service clerk.”

“It is a privilege to continue to work with the talented team at Giant Eagle and I look forward to get started in this new role,” said Artman. “My main focus is and always has been continuing to support the great team at Giant Eagle, and delivering for our customers and the places where we live and work. Giant Eagle was built on a foundation of passion, hard work, innovation and competitive spirit and I’m proud to continue that legacy.”

Giant Eagle has served customers for over 90 years and continues to build on a tradition of bringing the freshest, most convenient, and friendliest experience to everyone. Today, the company has more than 470 stores and delivered annual revenue of $11.1 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022.

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