ZAANDAM, the Netherlands — Ahold Delhaize has named Natalie Knight executive vice president of finance, effective March 1. She will also serve as member of the executive committee.

Knight will succeed Jeff Carr, who will leave Ahold Delhaize when his current term expires in April 2020. The month overlap in their tenures will ensure a seamless transition.

Natalie Knight

Knight joins Ahold Delhaize from Arla Foods, a global dairy company based in Denmark, where she was chief financial officer, overseeing the company’s finance, legal, and IT functions. In this role, she was instrumental in the company’s transformation and efficiency program, called Calcium, which meaningfully lowered the company’s cost basis. In addition, Knight led the company’s digital strategy process and has driven significant cash generation and working capital improvements. She is a finance leader who puts particular focus on commercial and cross-functional performance management and has helped Arla make substantial progress in the area of sustainability finance.

Prior to joining Arla Foods, Knight spent 17 years at adidas, a global sportswear manufacturer, where she served in several financial roles, including investor relations and mergers and acquisitions. In the latter role she led adidas’ acquisition of Reebok.

“I’m thrilled to have Natalie join Ahold Delhaize,” said Ahold Delhaize president and CEO Frans Muller. “She has worked in both the U.S. and Europe, across a variety of industries, including branded consumer goods and food products.  With her broad experience across several finance areas, her commercial mindset, and her demonstrated leadership in cost reduction and business transformation efforts, she is the right leader to help accelerate Ahold Delhaize’s Leading Together strategy. I look forward to working with her.”

Knight said she is excited to be joining Ahold Delhaize.

“With its Leading Together strategy and its brand-led model, I believe the company is well positioned to thrive in this new era of digital transformation in the food retail industry, she said. “I look forward to working with Jeff to ensure a smooth transition and support the company as it continues to win in its local markets.”