Dive Brief:
- Albertsons announced Wednesday that it has named three new members to its board of directors, including Meg Ham, the former president of Ahold Delhaize USA banner Food Lion.
- The grocery chain also said Wednesday that it has appointed Cody Perdue as interim CFO, effective immediately.
- The leadership changes come as Albertsons looks to rejuvenate its performance and energize its sagging stock price.
Dive Insight:
In addition to Ham, Albertsons’ newly appointed directors include Bill Boltz, executive vice president of merchandising for Lowe’s Companies, and Chris Drumgoole, chief operating officer of Aligned Data Centers. All three new directors will join the board on Oct. 14 and expand it from 11 members to 14.
Albertsons is adding members to its board as it deals with weak sales growth amid a difficult period for conventional grocers. The supermarket chain reported flat net sales and a decline in comparable-store sales during its latest quarter, reflecting the tough landscape the company faces.
Susan Morris, Albertsons’ CEO, alluded to those challenges in a statement on Wednesday.
“Albertsons is operating in an increasingly dynamic retail environment, and Bill, Chris and Meg bring expertise to our board that will help me and my team strengthen the business and serve customers,” Morris said. “Bill’s expertise in merchandising and omnichannel retail, Chris’ deep technology and AI capabilities, and Meg’s decades of grocery leadership and customer-focused transformation will be instrumental as we continue building a better, more agile company.”
Ham is joining Albertsons’ board following her retirement in May 2025 from Food Lion, where she served as president for more than a decade. Food Lion was a consistent star performer for Ahold Delhaize USA during her tenure and posted positive sales growth for several consecutive years under her leadership.
Boltz leads merchandising, global sourcing, private brands, product development and omnichannel strategy for Lowe’s, which runs more than 1,700 home improvement stores across the U.S. Drumgoole oversees operations, platform delivery and technology for Aligned Data Centers, which run facilities in the U.S. and Latin America.
Albertsons’ addition of Ham, Boltz and Drumgoole as directors follows the retailer’s appointment last month of former technology industry leader Meg Whitman as executive chair. Whitman previously served as CEO of companies including eBay and Hewlett-Packard.
With the appointment of Whitman and the three new directors, Albertsons’ board has gone from 10 members to 14 in just a few weeks.
Albertsons’ newly named interim CFO joined the company in 2023 and is currently its senior vice president of treasury, investor relations and risk management, a role he has held since 2025. Perdue will continue to manage those operations.
Perdue replaces Sharon McCollam, whom Albertsons said in July intended to retire this year after serving as president and CFO since 2021. McCollam will remain an advisor to the grocer until Feb. 27, 2027.
Albertsons also said in July that it planned to look inside and outside the company for a McCollam’s replacement and noted Wednesday that its search for a permanent CFO is in progress.
“Cody has been my right hand and a trusted partner to the entire leadership team,” McCollam said in a statement. “He is a disciplined and thoughtful financial leader with excellent judgment, and I look forward to working with him to ensure a seamless transition.”
