Brian Monahan leaves Albertsons Media Collective. The unit moves under the CMO

Brian Monahan has left Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm of the US grocery chain Albertsons, after about 15 months as its senior vice president. Adweek first reported the exit on 5 October. The unit will now report to chief marketing officer Emily Turner.

Digiday reported that Monahan left with immediate effect. Turner reports to Michelle Larson, Albertsons’ chief merchandising officer. The company has not said whether it will fill Monahan’s role.

Monahan came to Albertsons from Dentsu in July 2025

Monahan joined in July 2025, taking over from Kristi Argyilan. Before that he led retail media work at Dentsu and had worked at Pinterest and Walmart. Grocery Dive listed what he oversaw: a branded entertainment offer, sponsored products inside AI search tools and a way to measure the in-store effect of ads.

“Brian played a key role in building Albertsons Media Collective,” an Albertsons spokesperson said in a statement to Grocery Dive. The statement thanked him and wished him success.

Agencies say the Albertsons ad business grew slower than planned

Digiday quoted agency sources who said the network had not hit its growth targets. One executive said the ad side “hasn’t grown at the pace they had hoped”. Digiday also noted that retail media is still one of the brighter spots in Albertsons’ business.

The exit comes during wider change at the grocer. Grocery Dive wrote that Albertsons recently restructured, expanded its board, brought in former eBay and HP chief Meg Whitman as executive chair and announced its finance chief’s retirement. Comparable store sales are under pressure.

Kroger Precision Marketing grew profit 24% last quarter

The news contrasts with Albertsons’ larger rival. Kroger Precision Marketing reported profit growth of 24% in its second quarter. Industry groups are also trying to agree on how to count in-store retail media, an area Monahan worked on at Albertsons.

Brands that buy ads with Albertsons will now deal with a team led from marketing, not a dedicated media chief. Whether Albertsons hires a new head for the unit, and when, is the next thing to watch.