Dive Brief:

• Ahold Delhaize USA announced Thursday it has named John Ruane as president of The Giant Company. 
• Ruane had been serving as interim president since Nicholas Bertram left the top role last August. Previously, Ruane served as The Giant Company’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer.
• Ahold Delhaize USA CEO JJ Fleeman said in a statement that Ruane “has led the team during a very important time in the company’s history as it celebrates its 100-year anniversary this fall.”

Dive Insight:

Ruane, who joined Ahold Delhaize USA in 2011 and has worked at The Giant Company since 2018, brings decades of retail and merchandising to the top role.

Prior to Giant, Ruane served as vice president of sales and merchandising for Stop & Shop from late 2011 to the end of 2012 and then as SVP of fresh merchandising and supply chain for Ahold Delhaize until joining Giant in 2018, per his LinkedIn profile.

Before Ahold Delhaize, Ruane worked as vice president of merchandising for A&P and was senior vice president of merchandising for Pathmark, which A&P acquired in 2007.

Ahold Delhaize said Ruane started his grocery career at age 14 at Foodtown in New Jersey, where he worked through college. 

“John is a leader who cares deeply about his team and serving customers,” Fleeman said. “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.”

Along with his president role, Ruane serves as chair of FMI – The Food Industry Association’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee. He is also on the board of directors at Philabundance, a hunger-relief organization serving the Philadelphia area, according to the press release. 

Bertram, who served as The Giant Company’s president for nearly five years, was named earlier this year as founding member of the advisory board for food waste prevention technology company Divert. In February, he became the president and chief operating officer of Flashfood. 

With more than 190 stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey, The Giant Company has undergone a string of recent changes to boost its presence as an omnichannel retailer. Last year, for example, Giant dropped order minimums and the pickup fee for pickup orders through its Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct services and also launched an online marketplace, Ship2Me, that sells pet supplies, health and beauty products, home decor, snacks, candy and other household items.