Rite Aid restructures leadership division

Rite Aid is shaking up its management structure.

The retailer recently announced that it is realigning its management team and streamlining the company’s operations, including the elimination of the Rite Aid chief operating officer position and consolidation of its pharmacy leadership.

As a result, Jim Peters, chief operating officer, and Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president and chief pharmacy officer, have left the company.

[Read more: 2020: Pharmacy Innovator of the Year: Rite Aid's Revolutionary new approach]

Karen Staniforth, senior vice president, clinical pharmacy services, will take on the title of chief pharmacy officer, which going forward will be focused specifically on centralized pharmacy operations in addition to her current responsibilities, the company said.

Andre Persaud, executive vice president and chief retail officer, will take over field operations for pharmacy as well as oversight of front-end operations.

Staniforth, Persaud and Erik Keptner, senior vice president and chief marketing and merchandising officer, will report directly to Heyward Donigan, Rite Aid’s president and CEO.

[Read more: Rite Aid to close 63 stores]

In addition, Justin Mennen, executive vice president and CIO, will expand his responsibilities to include leadership of all digital and e-commerce under his new title as chief digital and technology officer.

“The changes we announced today are part of our ongoing efforts to reduce costs and remove layers,” Donigan said. “Karen, Andre, Erik and Justin have been instrumental in bringing our full suite of retail products and pharmacy services to our customers, and I look forward to working directly with them as we execute on our omni-pharmacy strategy. I also want to thank Jim and Jocy for their many contributions and wish them well in their future endeavors.”