Sponsored By

Sobeys parent creates COO, CIO roles in exec shakeup

Empire says new structure marks ‘shift to offense’

Russell Redman

May 20, 2019

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

Pierre St. Laurent has been named chief operating officer, a newly created role, at Sobeys Inc. parent Empire Company Ltd. as part of a senior management restructuring.

Calling the reorganization a “shift to offense,” Empire said the move includes the establishment of two new positions: chief information officer and head of innovation. Searches are under way to fill both posts, according to the Stellarton, Nova Scotia-based company.

St. Laurent begins as COO, full-service, effective immediately. For nearly the past year, he has served as executive vice president of merchandising and Quebec. He was promoted to the chief merchant’s role, after previously serving as leader of the Quebec business, in a shuffling of senior executives last spring.

Pierre_St-Laurent_Empire_Company_Sobeys.pngAs COO, St. Laurent (left) will oversee merchandising, retail operations and supply chain across Empire’s full-service and community grocery retail banners, including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Thrifty Foods and Foodland. Empire noted that the COO post will better aligns merchant teams with retail operations and create a unified, national voice to suppliers and customers.

Now reporting to St. Laurent will be Luc L'Archeveque, senior vice president of merchandising and general manager for Quebec, and Lorne MacLean, senior vice president of retail operations. With the move, L'Archeveque and MacLean also join the executive committee.

Related:Sobeys says Voilà to online grocery delivery

Under the restructuring, Empire's information technology team will now report to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Michael Vels. Noting that IT will be “powering the next phase of growth and digital innovation for the company,” Empire said Vels has deep experience in technology, digital implementation and transformation, along with a track record of improving business performance from information systems. IT will add to Vels’ current reports, which include the company’s real estate, indirect sourcing and the enterprise project management funtctions.  

Empire also announced that Lyne Castonguay, executive vice president of store experience, will be leaving the company to pursue other career interests, as part of a planned transition. She has served in the role for about a year — overseeing store operations, distribution centers and grocery banners (except in Quebec) — since being promoted from executive vice president of merchandising. Plans call for Castonguay to assist President and CEO Michael Medline with the transition of her role.

The new CIO position is intended to drive the “simplification and harmonization of technology tools” at the company. The role will report to Vels and become of member of the executive committee. Clinton Keay, Empire's former head of technology and transformation management, assumed the role of CFO of the company’s Crombie REIT unit on May 15.

Related:Sobeys realigns leadership team

With the newly created head of innovation role, Empire said it aims to “bring a laser-like focus” to strong growth potential solutions and to accelerate those initiatives. The new executive will work directly with Medline and across the executive committee to help identify, prioritize, test and evaluate innovation initiatives and solutions. The head of innovation will report to Medline and join the executive committee.

According to Empire, the senior management changes come as the company enters the final phase of Project Sunrise, a three-year plan to simplify organizational structure and reduce cost. Launched in the fiscal 2017 fourth quarter, the effort targets at least $500 million in annualized benefits by fiscal 2020. Empire reported that 20% of that goal was realized in fiscal 2018, and another 30% to be realized in the current fiscal year.

"The heavy lifting of Project Sunrise is almost done, and I couldn't be happier with the exceptional progress the team continues to make. This is a significantly improved company from that of even a year ago," Medline said in a statement. "The time is right to set our sights on the next phase of growth, with leaders who will integrate and unify our efforts further, enhance execution and accelerate innovation for the long-term, all with the aim of thrilling our customers."

Also key to Empire’s growth is Sarah Joyce, who joined the company last June as senior vice president of e-commerce. In the role, she directs Sobeys' online strategy and oversees the retailer’s technology partnership with U.K. online grocer Ocado.

Overall, Sobeys owns, affiliates or franchises more than 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under such banners as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy and Lawtons Drugs. Its retail network also includes 350-plus fuel locations.

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

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like