Ahold Delhaize USA has officially appointed John Ruane as the permanent president of The GIANT Company after serving as interim president for almost a year.
In August 2022, after serving as president of The GIANT Company for nine years, Nicholas Bertram stepped down from his position. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA then appointed Ruane as the interim president.
Headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the supermarket chain operates 193 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey, with over 35,000 employees.
“We have been fortunate to have John lead The GIANT Company as interim president during a time of transition, and we are excited about this next step in his career,” said JJ Fleeman, chief executive officer of Ahold Delhaize USA.
“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 Company 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,” Fleeman noted.
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Before serving as interim president, Ruane served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer for The GIANT Company, where he led the merchandising and marketing teams.
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 and grateful for the opportunity to serve as president of The GIANT Company,” Ruane said.
“Guided by our purpose of connecting families for a better future in all that we do, I’m looking forward to building on The GIANT Company’s incredible legacy and working with our entire team to do what we do best: ensuring we are always well-positioned not only to meet but exceed the needs of our customers and communities who’ve trusted us for the past century,” Ruane added.
An industry and community champion, Ruane serves as Chair of FMI’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee and on the Board of Directors at Philabundance, the largest hunger-relief organization serving the Philadelphia area. Ruane attended Rutgers College and has completed post-graduate programs at Cornell University and Harvard Business School.