Ahold Delhaize USA appointed Ira Kress as President of Giant Food, effective immediately. Kress has been serving as interim president for the grocery chain since last summer.
Kress joined Giant Food, an Ahold Delhaize USA company, in 1984 and has more than 36 years of retail experience, having started in-store operations management and served in a variety of leadership roles in retail operations, human resources, training and labor relations. In addition, he held a leadership role in human resources at Ahold USA.
“Ira has been a dedicated leader for Giant Food for 36 years and we are proud to appoint him to this role,” said Kevin Holt, president, Ahold Delhaize USA. “He is an excellent leader, with a strong focus on serving customers, engaging associates, and supporting local communities. During his role as interim president, Ira has continued to successfully grow sales, market share, and build strong associate engagement during an unprecedented time for our industry.”
The company named Kress interim president last June after his predecessor, Gordon Reid was appointed to lead Ahold Delhaize’s Stop & Shop banner.
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“It’s been an honor and privilege to lead Giant Food, especially during this time when our customers and communities have never needed us more. I’m honored to continue in the role and am incredibly appreciative of our associates who serve our customers with excellence every day. I look forward to continuing to grow the Giant Food brand in our communities,” said Kress.
Kress is active in the community and serves as a Board member on the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology Advisory Council and the Ahold Delhaize USA Family Foundation.
Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md., operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia and has approximately 20,000 associates.
Ahold Delhaize USA comprises the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest grocery retail group in the nation, operating more than 2,000 stores and distribution centers across 23 states.