Metro announces key staff appointments

Effective September 23, Joe Fusco will be the senior vice-president of conventional merchandising, store concept development and pharmacy at Metro Ontario Inc.

He was previously senior VP merchandising.

Metro said this change would provide “dedicated support to the conventional business, while continuing to oversee pharmacy operations.”

In addition, Fusco will assume the full merchandising and operational responsibility for the store concept development initiatives as these are rolled out to Metro’s conventional stores.

Paul Bravi, is also joining the Ontario team in the role of vice president, discount merchandising. Most recently, Bravi held the position of vice president, grocery merchandising for Metro Richelieu Inc.

READ: As experts wait for a big move, Metro makes two smaller ones

Reporting to Bravi and supporting the discount business will be Manoj Biswas, who will be joining the company in the new role of director, ethnic merchandising. Biswas brings with him an extensive background in ethnic retailing, most recently as the VP corporate affairs, Oriental Food Mart.

Also joining the company, will be Mike Thomson in the position of director, discount bakery merchandising. Thomson has more than with 30 years experience in merchandising and replenishment with previous roles at Del's Pastry, Canada Bread and Loblaw.

The staff appointments come following the news in August that Canada's third-largest grocery chain would reorganize its Ontario grocery network.

At that time, the Montreal-based company said that in Ontario 15 stores would be affected, including six Metro stores that will be converted to the Food Basics discount banner and up to three underperforming locations that will be closed over the coming months.