Albertsons names Meg Whitman executive chair to spur growth

Albertsons names Meg Whitman executive chair to spur growth

Wed, September 9, 2026 at 4:24 PM GMT+3 2 min read

Albertsons Companies appointed Meg Whitman to the newly created role of executive chair of its board of directors on Wednesday, as the grocery chain works to reverse falling sales and contend with cautious consumer spending.

According to the company, Whitman will act as an operations and strategic adviser to CEO Susan Morris, partnering with her to refine strategy, improve execution and drive profitable growth throughout the business. Whitman will also help refine Albertsons' long-term strategy.

Whitman led eBay as president and CEO from 1998 to 2008, during which the company grew from $30 million to more than $8 billion in annual revenue. She became president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard in September 2011 and oversaw a turnaround of the company before it split into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2015. She also served as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise through June 2017. Whitman currently sits on the boards of CoreWeave, Motive Technologies and Fervo Energy, and has previously served on the boards of Procter & Gamble and General Motors.

Albertsons said Whitman's expertise positions her well to support Morris as the company works to integrate AI technologies into its operations and deliver a unified experience for customers whether they shop in person or online.

The company said that alongside Whitman's appointment, the board grew by one seat to 11 members, and Kim Fennebresque transitioned out of the chair role to become lead independent director. Fennebresque had served as board chair since September 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Meg has a remarkable track record of helping companies strengthen execution, accelerate growth and create long-term value," Morris said in a statement. "As we focus on moving faster and competing more effectively, Meg's strategic judgment, operating discipline and technology expertise will be invaluable."

Whitman said in a statement that Morris "is a talented leader who has dedicated her career to the company."

In July, Albertsons reduced its full-year earnings outlook and projected a drop in identical sales. Morris acknowledged at the time that the figures "underscored the need to move faster."

Albertsons operates 2,240 retail stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 banners, including Safeway, Vons and Jewel-Osco, the company said.