Dive Brief:
- William Emmons has stepped down as president of Jewel-Osco. Jim Rice, the senior VP for operations, has been named interim president.
- Emmons had been lured out of retirement in March to run the 180-store grocery chain after it was purchased by Cerberus.
- The move comes days after Jewel-Osco bought four Chicago-area Dominick's locations from Safeway.
Dive Insight:
There's nothing surprising here. Our sense was that Emmons was an interim leader who was tasked with managing a transition. With that complete, there was no need for him to remain.
What's next for Jewel-Osco is unclear. Certainly the company may be looking to buy another chain. Or it may be preparing to sell. Either way, the choice of the next president may provide a clue.