John Ruane named president of Giant
Ahold Delhaize USA has revealed the appointment of John Ruane as president of Giant. He had become interim president of the grocery chain following the departure of Nick Bertram in September 2022.
“We have been fortunate to have John lead Giant as interim president during a time of transition, and we are excited about this next step in his career,” said Ahold Delhaize USA CEO JJ Fleeman. “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 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.”
[Read more: Giant honors team members as it kicks off 100th anniversary celebration]
Before his stint as interim president, Ruane was senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Giant, in which role he led the merchandising and marketing teams to develop and implement customer-centric strategies that supported the continued growth of the brand while also improving customers’ experience and the overall value proposition. Ruane began his career in the grocery industry at age 14 at a New Jersey Foodtown store, where he worked through college. He later joined Pathmark and took on roles of increasing responsibility at retail and in merchandising before joining Ahold Delhaize USA companies in 2011 and Giant seven years later.
“I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as president of Giant,” said Ruane. “Guided by our purpose of connecting families for a better future in all that we do, I’m looking forward to building on Giant’s incredible legacy and working with our entire team to do what we do best: ensuring we are always well positioned to not only meet but exceed the needs of our customers and communities who’ve trusted us for the past century.”
Ruane is also chair of FMI’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee and sits on the board of directors of Philabundance, the largest hunger-relief organization in the Philadelphia area. He attended Rutgers College and has completed post-graduate programs at Cornell University and Harvard Business School.
[Read more: Giant celebrates PA Urban Agriculture week with $200K donation]
With more than 35,000 associates supporting more than 190 stores, 130-plus pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and 180-plus online pickup hubs and a grocery delivery service in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey, Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. encompasses the following banners: Giant, Martin’s, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct.
This story originally appeared on Progressive Grocer.