Karl joined Safeway as a courtesy clerk in the Phoenix Division in 1976, and quickly moved up the ranks, earning his first store manager position in 1982. He became District Manager in Metro Phoenix in 1990. Subsequent district manager assignments placed him throughout Northern California and Hawaii prior to being named Vice President, Retail Operations for the Northern California Division.
In 2002, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Corporate Retail Operations, and named President of the company’s 178-store Eastern Division.
In 2004, he returned to California as President of the Northern California Division. At the end of 2014 Karl was promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Merchandising for the new “Go Forward” Albertsons and Safeway Companies.
In September 2016 Karl was appointed President of the company’s Seattle Division responsible for 238 stores under the Safeway, Albertsons, Carrs and Haggen banners and operated in this leadership role until returning to California as President in March of 2021.
Karl is currently serving on the Executive Committee for the California Grocers Association (CGA). During 2011 Karl served as the President and Chairman of the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) and is now a past President Emeritus. Karl also has served on the Executive Board for the California Business Roundtable and on the Bay Area Council.
Karl earned an associate degree from Mesa Community College in Arizona and a certification in Food Industry Management from the University of Southern California. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership & Behavior at the University of San Francisco. At USF, he was presented the “Dean’s Medal of Excellence” from the McLaren School of Management in 2012. Karl was awarded the Executive of the Year honor from the USC Marshall School of Business in 2013. In 2014, Karl was awarded the Illuminator’s Torch Award. Karl was inducted into the Mesa Community College Hall of Fame in 2017.
Karl lives in Walnut Creek, CA with his wife, Aurelia. They have three adult sons and four grandsons.