Ahold USA Provides Update on its Support Center Restructuring

Company Press Release

Quincy, Massachusetts, United States – Ahold USA today provided an initial update on the restructuring of its support organization and changes it is making to simplify operations, speed up decision-making and support stores more effectively. This is part of the restructuring effort that Ahold USA announced in March.

“With a clear and constant focus on serving the evolving needs of customers and stores, we are making significant, rapid progress in turning Ahold USA into an even faster, stronger and more responsive organization,” said James McCann, chief operating officer of Ahold USA. “While there are still important decisions to make over the next few weeks, we now have a new organizational framework in place – ahead of schedule – that reduces management layers, increases the number of direct reports for many managers and brings important decisions closer to the stores that serve local shoppers each day.”

These changes include:

– Naming Nick Bertram (currently Senior Vice President of Store Strategy & Execution) to the role of Senior Vice President of Merchandising Strategy & Support. This is a new function that will help simplify the organization and improve the company’s ability to serve customers by providing core merchandising teams with comprehensive support on product assortment, pricing and promotions. Dean Wilkinson (currently Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Giant Landover) will replace Bertram as Senior Vice president of Store Strategy & Execution.

– Appointing Marissa Nelson (currently Senior Vice President of Merchandising Services & Support) to lead an expanded focus on healthy living across Ahold USA’s companies as Senior Vice President of Responsible Retailing & Healthy Living. This is an expansion of Ahold USA’s current Responsible Retailing function.

– Appointing Steve Rowell (currently Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel) as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Communications to take on additional responsibilities overseeing external communications, including media relations, government relations and community affairs.

The company’s new organizational structure is expected to go into effect on June 22.

Also, as previously announced, Mark McGowan is moving into his roles as Executive Vice President of Operations for Ahold USA and President of the Stop & Shop New England Division. This change was originally announced in March. McGowan most recently served as Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Ahold USA. The Senior Vice Presidents of Merchandising will report to James McCann for an interim period.

Don Sussman, who stepped in to lead the New England Division on an interim basis, will now return full time to his role as President of the Stop & Shop New York Metro Division.

Contact information

Ahold USA Press Office: +1 717 240 1513

Ahold USA is part of Ahold, a Dutch-based international food retailing group that operates quality supermarkets in the United States and Europe. Ahold USA supports four regional Divisions – Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, and Giant Carlisle – that together operate approximately 770 supermarkets with 115,000 associates in 14 states and the District of Columbia along with Peapod, the nation’s leading e-commerce grocery shopping/delivery service.

For more information, visit www.ahold.com.