Ahold Delhaize shareholders appointed Thierry Garnier, Claire Peters and Margaret Versteden-Van Duijn to the company’s management board during an extraordinary general meeting Oct. 13, and named Edmond Mesrobian to the supervisory board.
In addition, Garnier will join Ahold Delhaize and succeed Frans Muller as president and CEO in 2027, on a date to be determined by the supervisory board. With the appointments of Peters, CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA since September, and Versteden-Van Duijn, CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, the management board now consists of Muller, CFO Jolanda Poots-Bijl and the two regional chief executives.
Garnier, a French and British national, has served as CEO of Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement retailer whose banners include B&Q and Screwfix, since September 2019. Before Kingfisher, he spent more than two decades at Carrefour, where his senior roles included CEO of Carrefour International, CEO of Carrefour Asia and member of the group’s executive leadership. He also serves as a non-executive director at Tesco plc. When his nomination was announced in May, Ahold Delhaize said he is expected to succeed Muller around the company’s annual general meeting in April 2027.
During the EGM, Garnier said, “I have spent most of my 30-year career in this industry. I love retail, the spirit of the teams in stores and serving customers on a daily basis. I have long admired Ahold Delhaize and have a lot of respect for what the teams have achieved so far. I look forward to joining the team.“
Garnier’s retail/digital background
“Thierry is a seasoned leader with a strong track record in retail and digital transformation, deep international experience and a clear focus on customers, associates and the future of grocery retail,” said Wiebe Draijer, chair of the supervisory board. “We would like to thank Frans for his strong leadership and dedicated service to Ahold Delhaize. He played an instrumental role in the successful merger of Ahold and Delhaize Group.”
Muller joined the company in 2013 as CEO of Delhaize Group, served as chief integration officer after the 2016 merger and was appointed president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize in July 2018.
In her comments at the EGM, Peters said, “It is a distinct honor and privilege to be nominated as CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA. Our teams across the U.S. are at the heart of what makes our brands special, together with their strong heritages, deep community roots and unwavering focus on serving customers with excellence. Together, we will build on our strong foundation and continue to deliver sustainable value for associates, customers, communities and shareholders.”
“I am pleased to welcome Claire and Margaret to the Management Board,” Muller said. “Claire brings deep experience in omnichannel grocery and business transformation, combined with strong operational, customer-focused and people-first leadership. Margaret’s appointment marks the next step in her leadership journey at Ahold Delhaize, during which she has built a strong track record leading customer-focused, purpose-led businesses since joining the company more than ten years ago. I also warmly welcome Thierry, who will build on Ahold Delhaize’s strengths and help shape our company’s next chapter.”
Versteden-Van Duijn, whose roles have included bol, Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall, said she looks forward to “building on the strong foundation and continuing to create value.” Garnier told shareholders he has spent most of his 30-year career in the industry: “I love retail, the spirit of the teams in stores and serving customers on a daily basis.”
The company said the appointments support continued execution of its Growing Together strategy, anchored in local brands, customer-centric innovation, digital transformation and disciplined capital allocation.
Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize serves more than 77 million customers each week through 17 brands in Europe, the U.S. and Indonesia, with 384,000 associates and more than 9,500 stores. Its U.S. brands include Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, The Giant Company and Hannaford.
Related: Ahold Delhaize Names Garnier As CEO Nominee; Muller To Retire In 2027