Albertsons Companies appoints new India CEO  

Food and drug retailer Albertsons Companies has appointed Sunil Gopinath as Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Companies India, its newly established global technology and innovation centre in Bengaluru. 

The US-based company said the centre represents a strategic investment in building scalable technology solutions, integrating artificial intelligence and data science, and driving enterprise-wide retail transformation.

The Bengaluru hub will work alongside teams in the United States and Manila to deliver technology that serves more than 40 million customers each week. According to the company, the centre will play a key role in modernising core systems, advancing digital capabilities, and strengthening Albertsons’ global technology leadership.

Anuj Dhanda, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Albertsons Companies, said, “His deep expertise in scaling innovation hubs and leading transformative digital initiatives makes him the ideal leader to shape our Bengaluru global capability centre into a powerhouse of retail technology.”

As CEO, Gopinath will oversee the development of the Bengaluru centre and guide its expansion over the next 18 months. Areas of focus include customer experience, e-commerce, merchandising, cloud engineering, security, and advanced AI and data-driven roles. The company said the decision to invest in India reflects its commitment to owning its core technology platforms and leveraging Bengaluru’s strong talent pool and innovation ecosystem.

Speaking about his new role, Gopinath said, “Albertsons Cos. India is a strategic investment focused on developing and transforming how technology enhances the customer experience at Albertsons. Bengaluru’s rich talent pool in retail technology and thriving innovation ecosystem make it an ideal location for this journey. I’m honoured to lead our teams in shaping the future of grocery retail.”

Gopinath has more than 25 years of experience in building and scaling global technology operations. Before joining Albertsons, he served as CEO of Rakuten India, where he led digital transformation initiatives and large technology teams. His career has spanned international enterprises and digital innovators, with a strong emphasis on retail, e-commerce and platform development.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honour Society, and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Mysore.