Ahold Delhaize USA taps Food Lion executive as CFO

Dive Brief:

• Ahold Delhaize USA has named Jason Wilson as chief financial officer, the grocery company said Tuesday.
• Wilson, who has worked for the Dutch supermarket operator since 2000, served most recently as senior vice president of finance for Food Lion.
• Wilson’s appointment continues a string of recent stateside C-suite changes by Ahold Delhaize.

Dive Insight:

Ahold Delhaize pointed to Food Lion’s stellar performance in announcing that it had selected an executive of the East Coast supermarket chain to oversee its financial operations.

Food Lion has led the way among Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. banners, recording 50 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth and posting nearly 40% online sales growth during the company’s most recent quarter. 

Wilson worked for Food Lion, which runs more than 1,100 supermarkets in 10 states, for more than a decade. He was involved with key initiatives for the chain, including the development of new stores and renovation projects, Ahold Delhaize said.

Earlier in his career, Wilson served in multiple roles for Delhaize America, Ahold Delhaize USA’s predecessor, beginning as an inventory controller in accounting and moving on to positions including director of business development, vice president of strategy, and vice president of finance and business planning.

“Jason has a retail-oriented, customer-first mindset and a relentless focus that will enable our U.S. businesses to continue to thrive,” Ahold Delhaize USA CEO JJ Fleeman said in a statement.

In addition to leading financial strategy and operations for Ahold Delhaize USA, Wilson is playing an “instrumental role” in growing the company’s presence as an omnichannel retailer, the company said. Ahold Delhaize has been dealing in recent quarters with sluggish e-commerce penetration and online sales in the U.S., in part because of its decision in 2023 to sell New York area e-grocer FreshDirect.

Ahold Delhaize USA has also looked within its ranks for people to fill other top-level roles. In April, the grocery store operator promoted senior executives Sanja Krajnovic and Keith Nicks to the roles of chief supply chain officer and chief commercial and digital officer, respectively. Last year, the company named Marc Stolzman, who had served as executive lead of finance for its former Peapod Digital Labs technology support group, as chief sustainability officer.

In February, Ann Dozier, a former Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits executive, joined Ahold Delhaize USA as chief information officer.