Empire Company Limited has appointed Pierre St-Laurent as president and CEO of the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys.

St-Laurent’s appointment is effective immediately. He will also join the board of directors. A 34-year employee of the firm, St-Laurent was promoted from his former post as executive vice-president and chief operating officer.

“After a robust and well-governed succession process that included both an extensive global search and consideration of internal candidates, our Board is delighted to have identified our next CEO from within our organization,” said James Dickson, chair of Empirie’s board. “Pierre is a seasoned retail executive who has served as one of the key architects of our company’s success and our board is unanimous that he is the right choice to create long-term value for all of our stakeholders.

“Choosing a leader from within our senior leadership ranks speaks to the depth of talent in our company and reinforces that our greatest strength lies in our people — those who know our business, live our values and have helped shape our success.”

Stellarton, N.S.-based Empire ranks among Canada’s largest grocery-store developers, owners and operators. Its chains include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Farm Boy and discount grocer FreshCo.

“What an incredible honour to lead Empire’s 129,000 teammates and to continue to build upon the foundation of success that we have created together,” said St-Laurent. “I have been fortunate to work with so many talented colleagues over the years and I am inspired by what we can achieve together in the years to come, for our customers, our teammates and the communities we serve.”

St-Laurent succeeds Michael Medline, who is retiring after nine years leading the company’s turnaround and growth. Empire announced Medline’s intention to retire earlier this year.

He will remain with the company to assist with the leadership transition before retiring in December. During his tenure, he guided the business through a major transformation and delivered increased shareholder value in a rapidly changing marketplace. Empire invested approximately $2.5 billion in expanding and modernizing its store network and distribution infrastructure under his watch.

“I am incredibly grateful for Michael’s leadership over the past nine years,” said Dickson. “He has been the true embodiment of a resilient, adaptable and courageous leader and his impact on our company will be felt for years to come.”