Whole Foods Hands Mackey Sole Control of Fixing His Creation
- Walter Robb will step down as co-chief after six years
- Company posts better-than-expected profit, but sales still lag
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Whole Foods Market Inc. co-founder John Mackey, who opened his first store in 1980 with a staff of just 19 people and built the chain into an organic powerhouse, is now taking full responsibility for restoring the company to glory.
The retailer named Mackey as its sole chief executive officer on Wednesday, ending a dual-CEO role that he shared with Walter Robb for the past six years. In taking the step, the board is trusting that the eccentric Mackey can figure out how to make Whole Foods fresh again after its worst sales slump in at least a decade.