Marc Poulin appointed CEO of Sobeys Inc.

STELLARTON, NS, June 7 2012 /CNW/ - Empire Company Limited's Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Marc Poulin as President & Chief Executive Officer of Sobeys Inc. In his new capacity, Mr. Poulin will also serve on the Board of Directors of Empire.

Mr. Poulin replaces Bill M^cEwan who announced in February his intention to step down from the role. The appointment is effective June 29, 2012.

"We are delighted to have such a seasoned and highly qualified food retailer with a solid reputation across our industry and proven capabilities to lead Sobeys' food focused strategy forward," said Rob Dexter, Chair, Empire Company Limited. "Under Marc's operational leadership our business in Québec has thrived and is widely recognized as amongst the best food store portfolios in North America."

Since joining the company in 1997, Mr. Poulin has held progressively senior positions. He has led the company's operations in Québec since 2001, most recently as President, IGA Operations Business Unit, Sobeys Inc.

Commenting on behalf of Sobey family members of the Empire Board of Directors, Paul D. Sobey said: "As we welcome Marc into his new role within the organization, we must also thank and pay tribute to Bill M^cEwan for his experienced and principled leadership of Sobeys Inc. over the past eleven-and-a-half years. Our shareholders, employees and the millions of customers across the country who shop in our stores on a weekly basis have directly benefitted from Bill's outstanding contributions in leading this company and in his efforts to advance the interests of the Canadian food industry."

About Marc Poulin
Work
Mr. Poulin has more than 30-years experience in the food retailing, packaged goods and financial services industries. He began his career in Montréal with Secor Consulting where he worked as a Marketing Analyst from 1982-1983. After obtaining his MBA, he returned to Canada and between1985-1986 worked in the marketing department for Unilever Canada. Between 1986 and 1993 he held progressively senior marketing and merchandising roles with Provigo Inc., including Senior Director of Marketing and Merchandising. From 1994-1995, Mr. Poulin worked for Culinar Inc. as General Manager of the company's Fine Bread and Soup division before accepting the position of Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Desjardins-Laurentian Life Group. In 1997 he joined the Oshawa Group as Vice President, Grocery Merchandising, becoming an employee of Sobeys Inc. in 1998 when it acquired the Oshawa Group. In 2001, Mr. Poulin was appointed President of Operations, Sobeys Québec, a role he held until appointed President, IGA Operations Business Unit in 2011.

Education
Mr. Poulin earned his Bachelor of Actuarial Science degree from the Université Laval (1982) and holds a Masters of Management (Marketing) degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (1985).

Community
Mr. Poulin is an active member of his community serving on the Board of Directors for the Montréal Heart Institute Foundation, as a volunteer for the United Way of Greater Montréal and as President of the Québec Chess Federation. He is a past board member of the Montreal Board of Trade, and a former participant (1987) in the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference. In 2010 he was recognized as one of Québec's top business leaders by Perform Québec.

About Empire Company
Empire Company Limited is a Canadian company (TSX:EMP.A) headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire's core businesses include food retailing and related real estate. With over $16 billion in annual sales and approximately $6.5 billion in assets, Empire and its related companies employ approximately 49,000 people. More information about Empire can be found at www.empireco.ca.

About Sobeys Inc.
Proudly Canadian, with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys has been serving the food shopping needs of Canadians for 104 years. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited, Sobeys owns or franchises more than 1,300 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, and Thrifty Foods, as well as Lawton's Drug Stores. Sobeys and its franchise affiliates employ more than 95,000 people. The company's goal is to be widely recognized as the best food retailer and workplace environment in Canada. More information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at www.sobeyscorporate.com.

Image with caption: "Marc Poulin, newly appointed President & CEO of Sobeys Inc. (CNW Group/Sobeys Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120607_C6684_PHOTO_EN_14834.jpg

Andrew Walker
Vice President, Communications & Corporate Affairs
Sobeys Inc.
[phone]

Alain Dumas
Senior Director, Public Affairs
IGA Operations Business Unit, Sobeys Inc.
[phone] ext 2400