BOISE, Idaho – Robert Miller, executive chairman of the parent company of Albertsons and Safeway, has assumed the additional role of chief executive officer.

Robert Miller

AB Acquisition LLC, the parent of the two supermarket chains, said Friday that Miller takes over from Robert Edwards, who had been appointed CEO at the close of the company’s acquisition of Safeway, which closed in late January and created a food and drug retailer with 2,230 stores, including nearly 2,000 pharmacies.

Edwards, who had been chairman and CEO of Safeway before the acquisition, will continue on with the company as vice chairman, providing counsel to the board and the organization on key strategic and integration matters, the company said.

“As CEO of Safeway, Robert made tough decisions that led to significant improvements in Safeway’s shareholder value and positioning the company for the future,” Miller said in a statement. “The last year has been a time of great change for our companies, and we appreciate Robert’s leadership during this critical time.”

Edwards described working with Miller and others to bring the two companies together as a privilege, and said he was proud of the foundation the teams have created for the future.

“We’ve made significant strides in the time since the merger has closed,” Edwards said, “and I feel comfortable turning my focus to other matters that will be of the best benefit to the company.”

Albertsons also announced the restructuring of its executive leadership team, establishing an “Office of the CEO” to support the day-to-day operations of the company’s 14 divisions and 2,200 stores. Besides Miller, the Office of the CEO will comprise Wayne Denningham, chief operating officer for all of the company’s regions; Justin Dye, chief administrative officer; and Shane Sampson, chief marketing & merchandising officer.

Jim Perkins and Kelly Griffith will continue to serve as executive vice presidents of operations for the company’s regions and will now report to Denningham.