Delhaize Group Names New Chairman

International retail conglomerate Delhaize Group has revealed that Mats Jansson will become chairman of the company’s board when the current chairman, Georges Jacobs, retires in May.

“A year ago, we invited Mats Jansson to join our board and were immediately impressed by his experience and focused contributions,” said Jacobs. “[Jansson’s] experience both as a retail executive and at various boards will no doubt make him a very successful chairman of Delhaize Group. … I leave this great company full of confidence in its future growth supported by the key initiatives of its New Game Plan.”

President and CEO Pierre-Olivier Beckers added that the board intended to “[draw] upon [Jansson’s] significant experience as a top executive to further strengthen and accelerate the development of Delhaize Group.”

Jansson began his career with ICA, a top Swedish food retailer, rising through the ranks over more than 20 years to eventually become president of ICA Detaljhandel and deputy CEO and chairman of the group from 1990 to 1994. He then went on to become CEO of Austria-based supermarket operator Catena/Billa from 1994 to 1999. From 2000 to 2005, Jansson held the position of CEO with Axfood, the second-biggest food retailer in Sweden, and then was president and CEO of SAS, the Scandinavian airline company, from 2006 to 2010. He is currently an independent member of Danske Bank.

Brussels-based Delhaize Group also appointed Shari Ballard, president, international and enterprise EVP at Richfield, Minn.-based Best Buy, to the board, effective in May. “Shari brings a wealth of retail experience and we are convinced she will have a positive impact on our company,” said Beckers.