Supervalu, Inc., said Tuesday that Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Julie Dexter Berg is leaving the company this week-and an internal successor has been named.

Effective Monday, Michael Moore will assume the role of executive vice president and CMO. He joined the Eden Prairie-based grocer last year as business transformation officer.

Dexter Berg joined Supervalu in March 2010. When asked about her reason for leaving, company spokesman Mike Siemienas told Twin Cities Business on Thursday morning: “Julie has made the decision to return to the West Coast and work closer to her home in Seattle.”

Prior to joining Supervalu, Moore spent 24 years at Procter & Gamble. There, he led sales, marketing, finance, operations, and human resources operations-and just prior to leaving, he served as director of the company's grocery retail group.

“Michael has a terrific understanding of the food industry and the challenges we face as a grocery retailer in today's environment,” Supervalu CEO and President Craig Herkert said in a statement. “I am confident that he will move quickly to build marketing programs that are effective and efficient while ensuring that we continue to drive traffic and sales through innovative and engaging consumer marketing programs.”

Moore will report directly to Herkert. In his new role, he'll lead all of the company's marketing activities, including overseeing customer and brand strategy, advertising, customer loyalty, and research and analytics.

For its most recent fiscal year, which ended in February 2011, Supervalu reported $37.5 billion in sales, down 7.5 percent from the same period the prior year, and a $1.5 billion net loss. It is among Minnesota's five-largest public companies based on revenue.