CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has made a flurry of executive changes in store operations and human resources.
The drug store chain said Thursday that Brian Fiala, formerly executive vice president of store operations, has been appointed executive vice president of human resources. He fills the vacancy created by Steve Parsons, who Rite Aid reported is leaving the company to take another position.
Succeeding Fiala as executive vice president of store operations is Robert Thompson, previously senior vice president for the western division. And taking over for Thompson as western division senior vice president is Bill Romine, who was promoted from his former post of group vice president for metro New York.
Rite Aid said the executive changes take effect on July 11.
"Brian, Bob and Bill have all done a great job for our company," Rite Aid president and chief executive officer John Standley said in a statement. "Rite Aid will continue to benefit from their talent and expertise in their new positions."
Fiala will be responsible for all aspects of human resources, including training, recruitment, talent management, compensation and benefits, and labor relations, according to Rite Aid. He reports to Standley. The retailer said that since joining the company in 2007, Fiala has strengthened the field organizational structure and improved customer and associate satisfaction, talent management and recruitment. Before joining Rite Aid, he was a senior vice president at Target Corp., where he served 24 years in operations positions.
Thompson, another former Target veteran who joined Rite Aid in 2007, will now oversee all operations at the drug chain’s 4,700-plus stores and report to Ken Martindale, Rite Aid’s chief operating officer. The company noted that in his former post overseeing Rite Aid’s more than 850 western division stores, Thompson greatly improved store performance. Before coming to Rite Aid, he was a senior vice president for the west region for Target, where he served for nearly 20 years in operations.
Now reporting to Thompson will be Romine, who in his new position will supervise operations of Rite Aid’s western division stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and Utah. The 34-year drug store industry veteran joined Rite Aid in 1996 with the company’s acquisition of the west coast Thrifty-PayLess drug chain, where he started his career in 1976. Romine has served at Rite Aid in operations positions of increasing responsibility, including as district manager, regional vice president and as vice president of merchandising operations for all of Rite Aid. He was named group vice president of metro New York last year.
Rite Aid also announced several other executive moves earlier this year, including naming a new top merchant. In mid-April the retailer promoted Tony Montini to executive vice president of merchandising. He previously was senior vice president of category management. The company also appointed Bryan Shirtliff to the new position of senior vice president of merchandising. Shirtliff had been named senior vice president of business development early last year after having served as senior vice president of category management.
And in late May Rite Aid said it hired David Kelly as group vice president of construction. Kelly joined the drug chain from regional supermarket retailer A&P, where he was senior vice president of real estate and development.
