Walmart names Van den Berghe Canada CEO

Dirk Van den Berghe, who left Delhaize Group’s executive offices earlier this month, has been appointed as the new CEO of Walmart Canada, the company said Friday.

Van den Berghe will assume his new role Aug. 1 and will report to Shelley Broader who was recently promoted to president and CEO of Walmart's EMEA Region which encompasses the retailer's operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada. Broader was formerly CEO of Walmart Canada.

Van den Berghe holds 30 years of international experience across Europe, Asia and the United States. He joins Walmart from the Delhaize Group, where most recently he was CEO for the company's Belgium and Luxembourg operations. Broader also has Delhaize roots as a former executive with its Hannaford and Sweetbay divisions in the U.S.

Dirk Van den Berghe

"We're very pleased Dirk will be leading Walmart Canada as we celebrate 20 amazing years of saving Canadians money so they can live better," Broader said in a statement. "Under Dirk's leadership, Delhaize has been successful in several countries, and his vast experience will allow us to strengthen our growing food business in Canada and complements our highly successful general merchandise operation. One of Walmart's greatest strengths is having exceptional leaders to drive our continued growth, and Dirk is a prime example of this talent."

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In addition to his international retail background, Van den Berghe has two decades of experience teaching international business at universities across Europe, Asia and the United States, and more than a decade of experience as an international trade commissioner for the government of Belgium. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Sofia University in Bulgaria and speaks seven languages including English, French and Dutch. Van den Berghe and his family will relocate from Belgium to the Toronto area.