Southeastern Grocers Hires New VP of Pharmacy

Southeastern Grocers LLC has brought aboard Gayle Shields as its new VP of pharmacy, in which capacity she will direct the day-to-day and strategic operations of the company’s several hundred pharmacy locations throughout the Southeast.

For almost 30 years, Shields has worked in the pharmacy industry in various positions for such companies as Allied Health, Maxor National Pharmacy Services Corp., Save Mart, Albertsons and Discovery Health. Her most recent role was VP of pharmacy for Carlisle, Pa.-based Ahold USA, where she oversaw pharmacy operations for 580 pharmacies across 11 states. Shields held various pharmacy leadership roles in her five years at Ahold USA, during which time she focused on customer experience, training, and implementation of compliant and consistent pharmacy programs across all locations.

Noting Shields’ “wealth of experience within the pharmacy and grocery industries, both within the United States and overseas,” COO Anthony Hucker said, “I am confident that she will make a significant contribution to our team at Southeastern Grocers.”

John Fegan, Southeastern Grocers' previous VP of pharmacy, retired last November.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers LLC, parent company of Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is the second-largest supermarket in the Southeast based on store count. The company employs almost 60,000 associates in grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.