Loblaw Appoints Denmark's Salling Group CEO Per Bank to Head Company

By Adriano Marchese

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. has appointed retail veteran Per Bank as its new president and chief executive officer, joining the company early next year.

Mr. Bank is currently the outgoing CEO of Denmark's largest retailer by market share, Salling Group A/S, where he has been serving in the role for over a decade.

Salling Group has the country's largest private-sector workforce and operates about 1,700 multi-banner supermarkets across three countries.

The Canadian grocery and pharmacy retail company, in a joint statement with parent company George Weston Ltd., said it began its global talent search in August in anticipation of the planned retirement of its chief operating officer, Robert Sawyer, who is set to leave the company at the end of this year.

Mr. Bank brings with him a wealth of experience to Loblaw, with a career spanning 30 years in retail operations and supply chain. Before his time at Salling Group, he was also CEO of British grocer Tesco PLC's Hungary unit between 2009 and 2011, and CEO of Coop for about five years before that.

Outgoing COO Mr. Sawyer will remain in his role until the end of the year and support a smooth transition for Mr. Bank.

Write to Adriano Marchese at adriano.marchese@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 18, 2023 07:45 ET (11:45 GMT)

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