TORONTO — Andy Giancamilli will retire as chief executive officer of the Katz Group and be succeeded by chief operating officer Frank Scorpiniti.
Plans call for Giancamilli to step down from the CEO post effective Feb. 2. A former chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, he will continue with the company in an advisory role until May, Katz said.
A 35-plus year veteran of the chain drug industry, Giancamilli took the helm at Katz in 2003. He quickly led the effort to rebrand Rexall and its retail pharmacy network.
Under his leadership, the organization launched "A Pharmacy First," a positioning campaign, and set about remodeling its stores, achieving explosive growth in the process. Today, the company — encompassing Rexall, Rexall Pharma Plus, The Medicine Shoppe, Guardian, I.D.A., Drug Trading Co., Rexall Specialty, Rexall Direct, Rexall Health Services and ProPharm Ltd. — is one of the most successful brands in the retail pharmacy sector.
Among the forward‐thinking initiatives spearheaded by Giancamilli is the Rexall Network, an employer‐based program aimed at increasing medication adherence through pharmacy care programs in the workplace. He also played a key role in advancing pharmacy care initiatives, promoting access to best-in-pharmacy services in Canada, and establishing a companywide pharmacy education program anchored in the Rexall Healthy Living concept.
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Frank Scorpiniti |
"Andy has been integral in building Rexall as a nationally recognized brand and leader in pharmacy care," Katz founder and chairman Daryl Katz said. "We appreciate the leadership and dedication he has shown over the past eight years."
Giancamilli said, “It has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside the talented group of individuals who comprise our organization. The key ingredient in our success is our store and home office team’s passion for enriching the health and well‐being of Canadians. Their commitment to finding new ways of advancing the practice of pharmacy is inspiring, and I have been fortunate to work with some of the best in the retail drug store industry — from stores to home office."
A pharmacist, Giancamilli worked at an independent drug store in Detroit before joining Perry Drug Stores in the mid-1970s. He became a district manager before rising to vice president of pharmacy, operations and merchandising. He was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1993, a position he held until the company was sold to Rite Aid Corp. two years later.
He subsequently joined Kmart Corp. as vice president of pharmacy and related categories. He was later chosen to head the company’s consumables business, which included pharmacy, health care and, eventually, jewelry and women’s fashion accessories. In 1997, he was named president and general merchandise manager for the entire chain.
Giancamilli came to Canada to handle dealer relations for retailer Canadian Tire and to renegotiate its franchise agreement. Two years later, he was planning to return to the United States when Daryl Katz asked him if he wanted to join the Katz Group, first as the head of its Snyders division in Minnesota and then as CEO of the entire operation.
In 2010, Giancamilli received Chain Drug Review‘s Ronald L. Ziegler Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to pharmacy.
Scorpiniti joined Katz Group as COO in April. He previously was senior vice president of pharmacy operations at Duane Reade, which is now part of Walgreen Co. Before that, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Longs Drug Stores. He began his career as a pharmacist.
