John Ruane will succeed him on an interim basis

QUINCY, MASS. – GIANT Co. president Nicholas Bertram will leave the retailer at the end of the month to pursue new opportunities, parent company Ahold Delhaize USA announced on Wednesday. John Ruane has been appointed interim president.

Nick Bertram

“We have been fortunate to have Nick lead The GIANT Company during his nine-year tenure,” said Kevin Holt, president, Ahold Delhaize USA. “His leadership has inspired very strong performance by the team. The GIANT Company has achieved a great deal of success, with growth in its local markets, innovation in operations and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as health and sustainability. We remain confident in the continued momentum of the brand and wish Nick all the best in the future.”

Bertram was promoted to president of GIANT/MARTIN’S in June 2017, after serving as senior vice president of merchandising for Ahold USA since 2013.

Bertram joined Ahold from Supervalu Inc., where he served as senior vice president of retail operations for Jewel-Osco in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. Prior to joining Jewel-Osco, Bertram worked for Walmart for nearly 12 years, holding positions of increasing responsibility in store operations.

“Leading The GIANT Company to be designed for the way families live now has been a great honor, and I am excited about the growing momentum of our purpose-led teammates,” Bertram said. “That, along with the strength of our leadership team, makes now the most natural time for me to step away. I have great confidence in John and believe that The GIANT Company’s best days are still to come.”

Ruane will serve as interim president until a successor is named. He is currently senior vice president and chief commercial officer for GIANT, where he has led the merchandising and marketing teams to develop and implement customer-centric strategies that support the continued growth of the brand, while also improving customers’ experience and the overall value proposition. 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 GIANT in 2018.

An industry and community champion, he currently serves as chair of FMI’s Fresh Food Leadership Committee and on the Board of Directors at Philabundance, one of the largest hunger-relief organization’s serving the Philadelphia area. Ruane attended Rutgers College and has completed post-graduate programs at Cornell University and Harvard Business School.

“I’m honored to serve as interim president,” Ruane said. “I look forward to continuing to serve our customers and communities and delivering on our purpose and passion of meeting today’s customers’ needs.”

The GIANT Company, headquartered in Carlisle, Pa., operates 192 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey and has more than 35,000 associates.