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Publix names Kevin Murphy as president

CIO Laurie Douglas adds chief digital officer duties

Russell Redman

October 22, 2018

2 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

Kevin Murphy has been promoted to president at Southeastern grocery chain Publix Super Markets Inc.

Publix said Monday that Murphy, 48, now senior vice president of retail operations, is slated to take the reins as president on Jan. 1. With the move, current Publix President and CEO Todd Jones, 55, will relinquish the president’s title.

Kevin_Murphy_Publix_2018_20web.jpgMurphy has been with Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix since 1984, when he started as a front service clerk in Margate, Fla. He held a range of positions before being promoted to store manager in 1995. Following that were promotions to Jacksonville division district manager in 2003, Atlanta division regional director in 2009 and Miami division vice president in 2014. Murphy has served in his current position as senior vice president of retail operations since 2016. The promotion to president could put Murphy in line for succession to CEO. Jones succeeded the retiring Ed Crenshaw as CEO in May 2016 after having been promoted to president in 2008.

Publix also announced a range of other executive promotions on Monday. The company said Laurie Douglas, senior vice president and chief information officer, will take on the additional role of chief digital officer.

Douglas joined Publix in 2006 from FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Center Inc., where she was senior vice president and CIO. Before that, she served as vice president of information and e-business technology at The Home Depot.

Related:Publix opens first GreenWise Market store

Dale Myers, vice president of retail business development, is retiring after 44 years of service at the company. Publix said that, with Myers’ retirement, Miami Division President Bob Bechtel will be promoted to vice president of customer experience. Bechtel began his career at Publix in 1978 and has led the Miami division since 2016.

Taking over from Bechtel as Miami division president will be John Goff, the division’s regional director. Goff, who came to Publix in 1991, has served in his current position since 2014.

Also retiring will be Vice President of Distribution Casey Suarez, who has been with Publix for 40 years. The company has promoted Mike Lester, director of warehousing, to succeed Suarez. Lester, who has been in his current role since 2014, joined Publix in 1983.

“We are thankful for the more than four decades that Dale and Casey have served our company,” Jones said in a statement. “We thank them for their contributions and wish them well in the next chapters of their lives. We are also excited to announce the promotions of Kevin, Laurie, Bob, John and Mike. For our company to have continued success, we need associates who are ready to take the next step in their Publix careers. These promotions continue to perpetuate our Publix culture of developing associates by preparing them for opportunity.”

Related:Publix to expand headquarters to help fuel growth

The nation’s fourth-largest supermarket operator by sales, Publix has 1,201 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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