Giant Eagle Retains Artman as CEO
Giant Eagle, Inc., one of the nation’s leading regional food, fuel, and pharmacy retailers, has appointed Bill Artman as chief executive officer after having been named interim CEO in March.
During his nearly 40-year tenure with the company, Artman has served in various executive leadership roles, including president of supermarkets, executive vice president and senior vice president retail operations. As a result, he has developed a deep and unique understanding of Giant Eagle’s multifaceted business and has built strong and trusting relationships with Giant Eagle Team Members, customers, vendors, and numerous business and community partners.
“Bill already has made a tremendous impact in his interim role, giving the board confidence that he is the right leader to take Giant Eagle to new heights. We are pleased to officially welcome him as CEO,” said Bart Friedman, chair of the company’s board of directors. “Over the past five months Bill has established a new business strategy and assembled a strong executive leadership team comprised of an accomplished group of professionals with decades of relevant experience who have both a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer and a strong vision for its future.
“Combined with Bill’s unique understanding of the history and heritage of the business and markets in which it operates, we are confident this leadership team will carry the company into many new chapters of success.”
“I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead the company that I’ve been a part of almost four decades, while working alongside thousands of exceptional and talented Team Members,” said Artman. “My focus is, and always has been, on delivering for our customers and neighborhoods in which we operate, while providing the support our Team Members need so they can deliver the best experience possible for our customers no matter how they choose to shop with us.”
Over the past five months, Artman has focused on putting the customer at the center of the company’s efforts. For Artman, this starts with a deep care for Giant Eagle’s Team Members and its neighborhoods.
Recent and ongoing efforts include moving quickly to return a revamped weekly circular to mailboxes in Pittsburgh and Cleveland; the reintroduction of the Price Lock promotion to lock prices on more than 1,000 seasonally relevant products; Free Coffee Monday at GetGo; seasonally impactful fuel discounts; new and expanded personalized savings through the company’s myPerks loyalty platform; and the rollout of a new Team Member perks and discount program that is currently in pilot. These efforts represent the company’s pursuit and commitment to provide reliable value and unparalleled quality and service to its customers every day.
Artman has assembled his leadership team through the appointment of several executive leaders with decades of industry experience and a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer.
Terri Micklin has been promoted to executive vice president, president of GetGo. With more than two decades of retail, fuel and convenience industry expertise, Micklin brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, having recently served as senior vice president of development & strategy for GetGo.
Her career includes experience with ExxonMobil Corporation and more than 20 years with Wawa, Inc. where she spearheaded numerous construction initiatives, including new stores, remodels, and other significant projects. Micklin will lead GetGo’s ongoing growth and expansion, while prioritizing its food-first approach and guest-obsessed culture.
Jim Tsipakis, RPh., has been promoted to executive vice president, president of supermarkets and pharmacy. Most recently Tsipakis was executive vice president and president of Giant Eagle Pharmacy. In his new role, he will now oversee both the Supermarket and Pharmacy businesses for Giant Eagle.
His expanded responsibilities will enable him to drive transformative strategies to create an exceptional and differentiated in-store experience for customers and continue to position Giant Eagle Pharmacy as a leading healthcare resource and destination. Tsipakis will lead several vital areas of the business including retail and pharmacy operations, supermarket merchandising, and the evolution of the supermarket service culture.
Dave Burnworth has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer. Most recently, Burnworth was senior vice president and chief accounting officer of the company.
Burnworth’s outstanding financial acumen, coupled with his strategic vision, will further strengthen the company’s financial foundation and ensure its sustained growth in an ever-evolving market. In this role, Burnworth will play a pivotal role in driving financial performance and supporting strategic decision-making across the organization.
Graham Watkins has been promoted to executive vice president, chief information and supply chain officer. Most recently, Watkins was EVP, supply chain transformation & operations.
Watkins will maintain responsibility for the company’s supply chain and warehouse operations, while also leading its information technology teams to advance the company’s numerous IT and technology initiatives that are underway.
Justin Weinstein has been promoted to EVP, chief strategy and marketing officer. Most recently, Weinstein was SVP and CSO. In this role, Weinstein will play a leading role in defining Giant Eagle’s corporate and go-to-market strategy.
He will continue to lead the organization’s strategic planning, analytics, digital and partnerships functions, while serving as chief of staff to the CEO. In his expanded role, he also will oversee the company’s enterprise marketing, retail media network, and eCommerce strategy teams.
“Terri, Jim, Dave, Graham, and Justin have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep commitment to our customers,” said Artman. “Their expanded roles within the organization will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to deliver meaningful everyday value and an exceptional omnichannel shopping experience for our customers in an environment that recognizes and rewards our Team Members.”
Completing the Giant Eagle, Inc. executive leadership team are Greg Baker, executive vice president, general counsel, and Janis Leigh, executive vice president, chief people officer.
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Capri Sun Issues Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink Packs
ack-to-school season is upon us and parents are in the midst of never-ending to-do lists. From school supply shopping and endless forms, to sports practices and meet the teacher nights, parents often spend the only moments they have to themselves trying to keep up with the never-ending demands. With 66 percent of parents reporting being burned out, Capri Sun Juice Drink wants to give parents a much-needed break by introducing Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs, which offer parents 50 seconds of calm, in partnership with Taskrabbit.
In order to truly enjoy their 50 seconds of calm, Capri Sun Juice Drink teamed up with Taskrabbit to give parents the luxury of delegation, with recipients receiving a $100 Taskrabbit credit to outsource their responsibilities to a skilled Tasker in their area. Parents can enjoy a bit more “me time” knowing that their back-to-school to-do list is being taken care of. From cleaning to home repairs and yard work, parents can outsource household tasks to Taskrabbit and revel in silence.
“At Capri Sun, we know that back-to-school season is a hectic time and our goal through launching the Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink is to show our appreciation for parents by providing them 50 seconds of calm,” said Samantha Mills, associate director, brand communications. “When parents buy these new juice packs, they are buying themselves some much needed peace and quiet. Our partnership with Taskrabbit is a strategic effort to give parents what they really need – time to themselves without worry.”
Capri Sun’s Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs are available on noisecancelingjuicedrink.com with no purchase necessary. The giveaway includes 2 pouches per box and a $100 Taskrabbit credit that can be used toward hourly service rates on the platform, while supplies last.
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BuzzBallz Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Goes on the Road
BuzzBallz is on the road, stopping in 11 cities for 11 installations of the USA Today Wine & Food Experience. From Aug. 12-Nov. 4, BuzzBallz ready-to-drink cocktails will be sponsoring every event on the tour.
The USA Today Wine & Food Experience will feature a plethora of local cuisine from new and established chefs, as well as wine, beer, and spirits from multiple vendors. BuzzBallz will be hosting tastings of their cocktails at each event.
BuzzBallz Trade and Shopper Marketing Manager Yashika Maru, said she is excited to have BuzzBallz present in all 11 stops of the tour with a variety of flavors to offer samples of.
“This incredible opportunity will help create brand awareness with a new set of audiences that enjoy wining and dining,” Maru said.
Aside from food and beverage tastings, each event will feature live demonstrations and music for an overall immersive experience, all within the span of an afternoon.
This sponsorship run comes timely for BuzzBallz, with its 2023 sponsorship of Seltzerland, which ended in July. Along with this tour, BuzzBallz will be sponsoring a handful of country music festivals and local beverage-based experiences throughout the remainder of the year.
BuzzBallz Trade and Events Marketing Manager Cori Culbertson said she has enjoyed sponsoring events with multiple stops.
“I love doing all kinds of events, but it’s especially fun when we get to sort of follow an event from city to city,” Culbertson said. “We can get more acquainted with the vision of the event and more accustomed to the types of consumers we’ll be interacting with, which just makes for better connections and more fun!”
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