Market Basket is moving forward with a leadership change after former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was removed from his position. The company’s board of directors voted in September 2025 to terminate Demoulas as president and CEO following months of disagreement between the executive and board members. The decision came after mediation efforts failed and followed Demoulas’ placement on paid leave earlier in 2025 while the board reviewed concerns involving company oversight and internal operations. A Delaware Court of Chancery judge later upheld the board’s decision, ruling in April 2026 that the directors had the authority to suspend and remove Demoulas from his role. The ruling allowed Market Basket to continue with the leadership transition rather than return Demoulas to the position he had held for more than a decade.
Demoulas became one of the most recognizable figures in New England grocery retail during his years leading the company. He returned to the CEO role in 2014 after a highly publicized dispute within the Demoulas family led to employee demonstrations and customer boycotts across the region. He had previously served as CEO before regaining control of the company through a shareholder agreement.
Following Demoulas’ removal, Market Basket appointed longtime executive Donald Mulligan as interim CEO. Mulligan spent more than four decades with the company and previously served as chief financial officer. His appointment kept leadership within the existing management team while the company moved through the transition. The leadership change has not resulted in announced changes to store operations. Locations across New England remain open under the Market Basket banner, and customers continue to shop the chain’s traditional format, which includes full-service departments and a large selection of everyday grocery items.
Demoulas owns a minority stake in the company, while other members of the Demoulas family hold a larger share of ownership. The dispute over his removal centered on corporate governance and the relationship between the CEO and the company’s board rather than any changes to the stores themselves. In June 2026, Demoulas said he would not appeal the court decision that upheld his removal. The company has not announced a permanent replacement for the CEO position. For shoppers, the most visible change remains at the corporate level. Market Basket’s supermarkets continue serving communities throughout New England as the company works under new leadership following one of the most closely watched executive changes in its history.
Market Basket operates around 100 supermarkets throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. The stores continue to operate under the same name, with locations carrying the company’s familiar mix of grocery departments including produce, meat, seafood, bakery, prepared foods, and household items.
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