Ahold Delhaize names new chief sustainability officer

Alex Holt has been appointed Ahold Delhaize's chief sustainability officer and a member of the executive committee of Ahold Delhaize, effective no later than June 1, 2024. Holt succeeds Jan Ernst de Groot, Ahold Delhaize’s chief legal officer and chief sustainability officer, who will retire May 31, 2024.

Holt is currently chief sustainability officer and member of the executive committee at Woolworths Group, Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailer, a role she has held since June 2021. Upon joining Woolworths in 2011, Holt held a number of roles across their supermarkets business, leading various commercial teams, before becoming general manager of sustainability, health and quality in April 2016. Holt joined Woolworths Group in 2011 from Tesco, where she spent seven years in a number of roles in business improvement, merchandising and sourcing.

“I am very happy that Alex will join our executive committee as our new chief sustainability officer," said Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. "She brings relevant experience from a food retail, business leadership and sustainability perspective. She is a sharp thinker and inspiring leader with a deep understanding of the challenges and impact that this role brings in a food retail company with ambitions with regard to health, nature, and climate.”

As CSO, next to her broader contributions and accountabilities as a member of the executive committee, Holt will drive the vision and strategy on sustainability in line with the company's group strategy and accelerate focus and collaboration across the organization and its supply chain. She will build and develop sustainability capabilities and mindsets within our brands and support organizations. Furthermore, she will provide thought leadership, expertise and support to the executive team and the brands to help them achieve their goals.

“I am very excited to join Ahold Delhaize, a company that wants to contribute positively to the transition to a sustainable food system," said Holt. "I am looking forward to partnering with the executive team, sustainability and business leaders across the company and across the industry to tackle the challenges that we face together, and seize the opportunities that create the biggest impact.”