Giant Food Appoints Giant Co. Exec to VP of Human Resources

Giant Food has appointed Brian Wanner VP of human resources following the retirement of Robin Anderson, who held the role and has been with the Landover, Md.-based grocery retailer for 42 years. 

Wanner will join Giant Food on May 9. He will oversee the food retailer’s human resources functions, including spearheading the development and evolution of a human resources strategy that continues to foster a culture of inclusion, learning and engagement, Giant Food said.

Brian Wanner

"Brian brings tremendous knowledge for both HR and omnichannel retail to Giant thanks to his many years of service in this industry," said Ira Kress, president of Giant Food, in a statement. “His depth of experience in management as well as his passion for people-oriented leadership make him a highly welcomed and valued addition to our team to drive the strategy behind our employee value proposition."

Wanner previously was director of talent and culture for The Giant Co., another Ahold Delhaize banner, which recently released its first community impact report, Living Our Purpose in 2021. During his two decades with Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co., Wanner held numerous positions of increasing responsibility across multiple functional areas, building his expertise across learning and development, talent management, diversity, recruitment, supply chain and logistics, and innovation and deployment.

In his most recent role at The Giant Co., which he held since 2019, Wanner was instrumental in developing and bringing to life the brand's learning platform, Giant University, and as a member of the Brand Refresh team, he played a vital role in developing strategy for attracting and retaining talent, according to a company statement.

"I'm energized to be joining the Giant Food team to deploy both my passion and experience in this industry to a brand with such a positive reputation both inside and out," said Wanner in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to further the growth of the excellent programs already in place at this company as well as leading new efforts that encourage an exemplary positive culture for its associates."

Wanner holds an associate degree from Central Penn College and a bachelor’s degree from Elizabethtown College. He has a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Messiah University.

Giant has 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia and about 20,000 employees. Within those 164 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 83 full-service PNC Banks and 26 Starbucks locations.