people

Boise, Idaho — Albertsons® Companies, Inc. has appointed Meg Whitman to the newly created role of executive chair of the company’s board of directors. With Whitman’s appointment, Kim Fennebresque has transitioned from chair to lead independent director, and the board has expanded from 10 to 11 members. Whitman will work to support Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Cos., and her entire senior team. “Meg is an ideal leader to join Albertsons’ Board of Directors,” says Fennebresque. “Her appointment underscores the board’s commitment to bring proven technology expertise and transformation leadership …

Katy, Texas — Academy Sports + Outdoors has appointed Matthew (Matt) M. Pasch to the role of executive vice president and chief people officer. In this position, he will oversee Academy’s talent strategy, human resources and communications functions supporting the company’s corporate, distribution centers and retail initiatives. Most recently, Pasch served as executive vice president, chief human resources officer at Burlington. He also held the roles of senior vice president of human resources, merchandising, marketing and strategy as well as senior vice president of human resources, corporate support, distribution and …

Menomonee Falls, Wis. — Kohl’s has named Ryan M. Waymire as chief merchandising officer, reporting to CEO Michael J. Bender, effective Sept. 28. Waymire has 25 years of experience at large retailers including Walmart, Amazon and Target, most recently serving as senior vice president of fashion at Walmart U.S. In his new role, Waymire will be responsible for Kohl’s overall merchandise strategy and all merchandising functions, including buying, omnichannel merchandising, product design and development, allocation and planning, sourcing and product portfolio strategy. “I am thrilled to have Ryan join the …

San Francisco — Gap Inc. has appointed Michael Francis as president and chief executive officer of Old Navy, effective Nov. 2, 2026. Francis will succeed Haio Barbeito, who will transition from his operating role into an advisory capacity. Francis joined Gap Inc. in March 2026 as chief customer officer, Old Navy, and head of marketing shared services. Past roles include strategic advisor to Walmart’s c-suite and board for a decade; marketing and operating roles at DreamWorks Animation and JCPenney; and a 26-year career at Target, where he served as executive …

Secaucus, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe®, a leading specialty retailer of health and wellness products, has promoted Jack Gayton to senior vice president, merchandising, effective immediately. Gayton will report directly to CEO Sharon Leite. Gayton assumes the top merchandising role from Muriel Gonzalez, president of The Vitamin Shoppe, who announced her retirement after an extraordinary retail career spanning more than four decades. Since joining The Vitamin Shoppe in 2020, Gonzalez has played a defining role in advancing the company’s merchant-led specialty retail strategy by reimagining its product vision, accelerating the …