EL7.AI
StocksMediumUpdated•Originally published 9 September 2026•Updated 9 September 2026•
2 min read

Albertsons Names Meg Whitman Executive Chair to Support Strategy and Execution

Key Facts

1Albertsons' board expanded from 10 to 11 members after Meg Whitman's appointment as executive chair.
2Identical sales fell 0.8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, while digital sales increased 13%.
3The company expects fiscal 2026 identical sales to decline 1.5% to 0.5% and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $3.550 billion to $3.625 billion.

Albertsons said on September 9, 2026, that it appointed Meg Whitman to the newly created role of executive chair. Kim Fennebresque moved from chair to lead independent director, while the board expanded from 10 to 11 members.

Whitman will lead the board and serve as an operations and strategic adviser to chief executive Susan Morris and her senior team. The company said her remit includes supporting strategy and execution, streamlining the operating structure around artificial-intelligence technologies, and delivering a consistent customer experience across stores and digital channels.

Whitman brings extensive technology and corporate-transformation experience. She served as president and chief executive of eBay from 1998 to 2008, then led Hewlett-Packard and Hewlett Packard Enterprise from 2011 to 2018.

The appointment follows a quarter that showed uneven pressure across Albertsons' business. For the 16 weeks ended June 20, 2026, identical sales fell 0.8%, while net sales and other revenue rose 0.2% to $24.9416 billion and digital sales increased 13%. Management also cited softer grocery-industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer.

Albertsons had already launched ACI Edge, an overhaul that reduces its structure from 11 divisions to 4 regions and centralizes center-store merchandising. The company lowered its fiscal 2026 identical-sales outlook to a decline of 1.5% to 0.5% and revised its forecast for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to $3.550 billion to $3.625 billion.

Whitman's position does not replace Morris in day-to-day executive management; it adds board-level leadership and an advisory role. Identical sales, which compare stores operating in both periods and exclude fuel, will be an important measure of management's ability to execute ACI Edge and convert restructuring and technology investment into profitable growth.