Albertsons Companies announced Tuesday that president and COO Wayne Denningham plans to retire near the end of the company's fiscal year and that Susan Morris has been named the new executive vice presient and COO. Morris will oversee the company's supply chain, manufacturing, and operations functions.

Susan Morris

"Susan is a talented leader withing our company, and she fully embraces our entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to running really good stores," says Bob Miller, Albertons' chairman and CEO. "Susan raised her hand to come to Albertsons in 2010 when she was a senior vice president of sales and marketing for a competitor, and she took the only job we had open — a grocery sales manager in our Southwest division. She has proven herself to be a valuable part of our leadership team in readily accepting new challenges, developing others and bringing teams together."

Morris began her career in the Albertsons Denver division while in high school and worker her way up the ranks. She has held roles spanning from store director, corporate grocery sales directory, vice president of bakery and operations, and vice president of customer satisfaction.

Morris will continue to lead the Seattle, Portland, North California and Southern California divisions as part of her role. She will be based at the company's Boise, Idaho corporate campus.