Loblaw management shakeup puts Galen Weston in charge

Loblaw Companies Ltd. says Galen Weston will become president of the retailer as part of broader changes that shake up its management structure.

The move has Weston replacing Vicente Trius effective immediately, with the company saying that Trius plans to return to Brazil for "family reasons."

Weston was formerly executive chairman of the company, which is a longtime family business and a subsidiary of George Weston Ltd.

Other Loblaw changes include the exit of Shoppers Drug Mart president Domenic Pilla before the end of this year. The country's largest food retailer says Mike Motz, Loblaw's executive vice-president and chief merchandising officer, will take the top position at Shoppers.

"Domenic is leaving as he would like to continue his career by pursuing opportunities to lead a widely-held public company, and we are respectful of his decision," said Weston in a statement.

Loblaw is navigating its way through a highly competitive time in the grocery industry with several U.S. retailers trying to snag a share of the Canadian marketplace.

While the company is expected to report its financial results on July 24, Loblaw said preliminary figures point to strong same-store sales in its supermarkets and pharmacies, a key performance indicator for the retail industry.