QUINCY, MASS. – Ira Kress has been appointed president of Ahold Delhaize USA’s Giant Food unit, the company said Tuesday. He had been serving as interim president since July 2019.

“Ira has been a dedicated leader for Giant Food for 36 years and we are proud to appoint him to this role,” Ahold Delhaize USA president Kevin Holt said in a statement. “Ira has been serving as interim president of Giant Food since last summer, and he has continued to lead the brand with success. He is an excellent leader, with a strong focus on serving customers, engaging associates and supporting local communities. During his role as interim president, Ira has continued to successfully grow sales, market share and build strong associate engagement during an unprecedented time for our industry.”

Kress joined Giant Food in 1984. He brings more than 36 years of retail experience to his current role, having started in store operations management and served in a variety of leadership roles in retail operations, human resources, training and labor relations. He also held a leadership role in human resources at Ahold USA.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to lead Giant Food, especially during this time when our customers and communities have never needed us more,” Kress said. “I’m honored to continue in the role and am incredibly appreciative of our associates who serve our customers with excellence every day. I look forward to continuing to grow the Giant Food brand in our communities.”

Landover, Md.-based Giant Food operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia and has approximately 20,000 associates.