Ahold Delhaize names new CFO

Ahold Delhaize, which has a U.S. headquarters in Quincy, Mass., has announced that its Supervisory Board has nominated Jolanda Poots-Bijl as member of the Management Board. Following shareholder approval, she will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jolanda will join the company mid-August as Executive Vice President, Finance, and member of the Executive Committee and start as CFO on Oct. 1 after an induction period. 

Jolanda joins from offshore construction company Van Oord, where she has held the position of CFO since 2016. She has a long-standing finance career, serving as CFO in several global and listed companies ranging from European IT Service provider Ordina to international construction company Volker Wessels. In addition to her executive roles, Jolanda has extensive supervisory experience, serving on the Supervisory Board of companies such as AkzoNobel and Pon Holdings and previously Blokker. Jolanda is a Dutch national, and holds economics and finance degrees from Erasmus University.

Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, said: “I am excited that Jolanda will be joining our company. She is a seasoned CFO with broad international working experience and has a passion for digital transformation and sustainability. She has relevant experience in a wide range of sectors and brings finance leadership that can help us deliver our Leading Together strategy. She is a passionate leader with a keen eye for talent development and will be a strong addition to our Executive team. We look forward to welcoming her.”  

Jolanda Poots-Bijl added: “Ahold Delhaize is a business that plays an important role in the daily life of many people, from the emphasis on affordable healthy eating to the transition of food retail into a more sustainable system. Ahold Delhaize is therefore in a good position to address some of the challenges of our time and I am honored to become part of the team. I look forward to getting to know the people, the business and the customers.”

Following her start mid-August, Jolanda’s first six weeks at the company will consist of immersive on-boarding, giving her time to get to know the company, the brands and the teams before starting her role as CFO. Current CFO Natalie Knight will stay with the company through early July. Jolanda will be nominated by the Supervisory Board to be appointed member of the Management Board at an upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of shareholders, the date of which will be announced in due course.