Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based The Giant Co. and its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, have announced that Nicholas Bertram, brand president, will leave the organization on Aug. 31 to pursue new opportunities. After he leaves, John Ruane will become interim president.
“We have been fortunate to have Nick lead The Giant Company during his nine-year tenure,” said Kevin Holt, CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA. “His leadership has inspired very strong performance by the team. The Giant Company has achieved a great deal of success, with growth in its local markets, innovation in operations and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as health and sustainability. We remain confident in the continued momentum of the brand and wish Nick all the best in the future.”
Bertram added, “Leading The Giant Company to be designed for the way families live now has been a great honor, and I am excited about the growing momentum of our purpose-led teammates. That, along with the strength of our leadership team, makes now the most natural time for me to step away. I have great confidence in John and believe that The Giant Company’s best days are still to come.”
Ruane will serve as interim president until a successor is named. He is currently SVP and chief commercial officer for The Giant Company, where he has 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.
“I’m honored to serve as interim president,” Ruane said. “I look forward to continuing to serve our customers and communities and delivering on our purpose and passion of meeting today’s customers’ needs.”
He serves as chair of FMI’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee and on the board of directors at Philabundance, one of the largest hunger-relief organization’s serving the Philadelphia area. Ruane attended Rutgers College and has completed post-graduate programs at Cornell University and Harvard Business School.
The Giant Company operates 192 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey and has more than 35,000 employees.
Bertram is a 2021 inductee to The Shelby Report’s Industry Hall of Fame. To read the full story, click here.
