A&P Names EVP Merch/Marketing, Addresses Company's Future

In the final addition to its revamped management team, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. (A&P) has appointed Tom O’Boyle to the new position of EVP. In this role, O’Boyle oversees the merchandising, marketing, and supply and logistics departments to develop a cohesive synergy among these key functions. He reports to president and CEO Sam Martin.

“Tom is an expert merchant with a proven track record of aligning merchandising offers with exciting marketing programs to meet customers’ needs,” noted Martin. “His appointment completes my dynamic executive management team which will lead our company’s turnaround initiative.”

O’Boyle’s more than 25 years of retail experience in merchandising and marketing includes stints at Jewel Food Stores and Albertsons. Before joining A&P, he was president and SVP, food and drug at Sears. Previously, he held the position of SVP, merchandising and marketing at Albertsons.

In other A&P news, executive chairman, Christian Haub, addressed recent news reports on statements from major shareholder Tengelmann on the future of the grocer that he characterized as inaccurate. According to Haub, Tengelmann’s comments “were taken out of context and may have created a misleading impression about the company’s strategic direction. A&P is taking the steps necessary to make the company stronger and more efficient. Since appointing Sam Martin as president and CEO one month ago and announcing our turnaround strategy, we have moved quickly to assemble an impressive and experienced management team …. Our team is now focused on executing against the turnaround and strengthening the operating foundation of our company. Our executive team, the A&P board and our major shareholders, Tengelmann and Yucaipa, remain fully and intensely focused on achieving an effective turnaround at A&P.”

News outlets had reported that Tengelmann’s ultimate goal for A&P was to merge the company into a larger retailer, with Tengelmann partner Karl-Erivan Haub admitting in The Wall Street Journal that the grocer was “in troubled water” at the present time, due to a U.S. retail market under pressure.

Montvale, N.J.-based A&P operates 429 stores in eight states and the District of Columbia under the following banners: A&P, Waldbaum’s, Pathmark, Best Cellars, The Food Emporium, Super Foodmart, SuperFresh and Food Basics.