Salisbury, N.C. — Ahold Delhaize USA has named John Ruane as president of The GIANT Company. He had been currently serving as interim president.
“We have been fortunate to have John lead The GIANT Company as interim president during a time of transition, and we are excited about this next step in his career,” says JJ Fleeman, chief executive officer, Ahold Delhaize USA. “He has led the team during a very important time in the company’s history as it celebrates its 100-year anniversary this fall. John is a leader who cares deeply about his team and serving customers. He will continue to drive strong performance and advance many of the hallmarks of The GIANT Company brand, including growth in its local markets, innovation in operations and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as health and sustainability.”
Before serving as interim president, Ruane served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer for The GIANT Company, where he led the merchandising and marketing teams to develop and implement customer-centric strategies that support the continued growth of the brand, while also improving customers’ experience and the overall value proposition. Ruane started his career in the grocery industry at age 14 at Foodtown in New Jersey, where he worked through college. He later joined Pathmark and held positions of increasing responsibility at retail and in merchandising before joining Ahold Delhaize USA companies in 2011 and The GIANT Company in 2018.
The GIANT Company, headquartered in Carlisle, Pa., is an omnichannel retailer with stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey. It operates 193 stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations and over 180 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery services.
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is the parent company of Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. companies, including its local brands: Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop – Retail Business Services, a U.S. support services company providing services to the brands. The local brands of Ahold Delhaize USA comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest grocery retail group in the nation, operating more than 2,000 stores and 20 distribution centers across more than 20 states.
SOURCE: Ahold Delhaize USA