Ahold USA and its Giant/Landover unit have announced key executive changes to their merchandising departments following the resignation of Steve Mayer, senior VP-fresh merchandising of the corporate organization, based in Carlisle, PA, and the reassignment of Jim Nazzaro, VP-sales and merchandising at the retailer’s Giant/Landover division.
Replacing Mayer, who joined Ahold USA from Bi-Lo in 2009, on an interim basis is John Ruane, the 38 year industry veteran who joined Ahold USA’s Stop & Shop New York division in 2011. Prior to joining AUSA, Ruane was VP-merchandising for A&P and for many years also served as senior VP-merchandising for Pathmark (which was acquired by A&P in 2007). Ruane will be based in Carlisle and will oversee meat, seafood, produce, floral, deli, bakery, convenience foods, category management, vendor negotiations, promotional planning and program development.
Mayer resigned for family reasons.
At Giant/Landover, Dean Wilkinson will replace Nazzaro as the retailer’s top merchandising executive. Nazzaro, the former Stop & Shop executive who relocated to Landover in 2005, is expected to transition to potential new position within the Ahold USA organization that will place him closer to his Boston area home.
Wilkinson has been with Ahold USA for nearly 14 years and has 28 years of experience in the retail and wholesale grocery industry. Wilkinson began his career in 1984 as a produce manager and buyer for Edwards Super Food Stores. He joined Stop & Shop in 1998 as a customer service manager and, after holding various positions of increasing responsibility, became a district manager for Stop & Shop in 2004 in New England.
Wilkinson joined Giant/Landover in 2006 and has held several leadership positions, most recently as the director of non-perishable sales and merchandising, a position in which he was responsible for the profit and loss numbers for the dairy, frozen, grocery, natural, GM and HBC categories in all Giant stores.
As VP sales and merchandising, Wilkinson will be responsible for division sales, merchandising and performance. He will work with central merchandising support inCarlisleto develop merchandising strategy to achieve sales and performance goals and will work closely with Shane Simpson, senior VP-store operations to ensure the successful execution of this strategy.
Wilkinson will report directly to Anthony Hucker, president of Giant/Landover. Reporting to Wilkinson are the new director of fresh sales and merchandising Cipriano Andrade, and director of marketing and external communications Felis Andrade.