BOISE, ID - Albertsons, one of the nation’s largest retailers, recently announced the addition of two retail superstars to its executive team. Gineal Davidson has been named President of the company’s Portland Division and Mike Theilmann has been named EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer. He replaces Andy Scoggin, Albertsons’ former Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Public Affairs, Government Relations, and Labor Relations, who announced his plans to leave the company at the end of the calendar year.

Davidson has been with the retailer for over 30 years. She began her career with Albertsons as a Courtesy Clerk and has since held positions such as Service Deli Sales Manager, Store Director, Six Sigma Black Belt, District Manager, and Director of Sales Support. She was named Division Vice President, Marketing and Merchandising of the company’s Shaw’s Division in 2016 and returned to the Intermountain Division in 2017 when she was named Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. Davidson was named to her most recent role of Intermountain Division Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising in October 2017. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

“We’re thrilled to have an operator of Gineal’s caliber to lead our Portland Division team,” said Susan Morris, EVP and Chief Operations Officer. “Gineal is a dynamic leader with a fantastic track record of leading winning teams, and we look forward to her taking on this key role within our company.”

According to a press release, Theilmann was most recently with Heidrick & Struggles, an Executive Search and Leadership Consulting firm, where he served as the Global Practice Managing Partner, Human Resources Officers Practice.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Albertsons Companies’ leadership team at such a pivotal moment in retail,” said Theilmann. “At no other time has the retail game been changing faster than it is today. Our omnichannel, technology-driven world isn’t just transforming how we shop; it’s influencing how companies attract, retain, and develop talent in order to grow and sustain results, too. I look forward to the opportunity we have across Albertsons Companies 2,200+ stores to build the best workforce in the industry, and to create a culture that people can’t help but want to be part of as employees and as customers.”

Throughout his 30-year career, he has held positions with Diageo, PepsiCo, Yum, and JC Penney. During his time at Yum, Thielmann held several human resources positions, such as VP of People Services, VP of Human Resources, Europe, and SVP Chief People Officer for the international business. He also served as Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer of J.C. Penney from 2005 to 2009. He was promoted to Group Executive Vice President in 2010, where he led store operations, supply chain management, human resources, and administration.

“Mike brings to Albertsons Companies both proven HR leadership and a winning track record in developing strong cultures of employee engagement and development. His experiences across many industries, in large service-centric companies, and his ability to connect operating priorities to talent and culture priorities will be invaluable as we navigate this new era in retail,” said Vivek Sankaran, President & CEO. “I look forward to working with Mike as we continue to grow and develop as a locally great, nationally strong omnichannel retailer.”

Congratulations to Gineal and Mike on these new positions!

Albertsons