Albertsons Companies has named former eBay and Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman executive chair of its board, creating a new leadership role as the grocer works to improve performance following a weaker-than-expected start to fiscal 2026.
Whitman joined the board effective Sept. 8 and will work with Albertsons CEO Susan Morris and the company’s senior leadership team on strategy, operations and technology, the Boise, Idaho-based retailer said Sept. 9. Kim Fennebresque, who had served as board chair since September 2025, has moved to lead independent director.
The appointment comes as Albertsons moves through a broad operational restructuring and increases investment in price and its customer value proposition.
In July, Albertsons reported a 0.8% decline in first-quarter identical sales and cut its fiscal 2026 outlook. The company now expects identical sales to decline between 0.5% and 1.5%, compared with its previous forecast of flat to 1% growth. Adjusted earnings guidance was reduced to $1.75 to $1.85 per share from $2.22 to $2.32.
Albertsons also launched ACI Edge, a restructuring that consolidates its 11 operating divisions into four regions and centralizes center-store merchandising. The company has said the changes are intended to simplify operations, improve accountability and make greater use of its scale.
Whitman brings more than four decades of technology and corporate leadership experience. She served as president and CEO of eBay from 1998 to 2008, a period in which annual revenue grew from about $30 million to more than $8 billion. She later led Hewlett-Packard from 2011 to 2018, including serving as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise following HP’s 2015 split.
Whitman also served as U.S. ambassador to Kenya from 2022 to 2024 and currently serves on the boards of CoreWeave, Motive Technologies and Fervo Energy.
Morris said Whitman’s experience in execution, growth and technology would support Albertsons as the company seeks to “move faster and compete more effectively.”
Whitman will also work with Morris to refine Albertsons’ long-term strategy and serve as an operational and strategic adviser to the company’s leadership team.
Albertsons’ board expanded from 10 to 11 members with Whitman’s appointment. Because she will serve as an employee in the executive chair position, the board determined that Whitman is not an independent director under New York Stock Exchange rules.
Albertsons operates about 2,240 stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Acme.