Jan Ernst de Groot, Ahold Delhaize's chief legal officer and chief sustainability officer, to retire

Ahold Delhaize Chief Legal Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer Jan Ernst de Groot will retire at the end of May, the Dutch retailer announced on Monday.  

“Jan Ernst has been a true partner, for the executive committee and me personally, over the years," Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, said in a statement. “His strong sense of ethics helped guide us through some turbulent times, and with his counsel and judgement, I have always been confident that we were well-equipped to handle the challenges that came our way. With his passion and strategic insight, he has brought structure to our ambition on Sustainability, underpinning our thought leadership and performance in this area.” 

De Groot's departure has prompted the Netherlands-based retailer to create a dedicated role for sustainability within the executive committee.  

Linn Evans, who currently serves as chief legal officer and general counsel at Ahold Delhaize USA, will assume the role of chief legal officer for Ahold Delhaize starting April 15. Ahold Delhaize said it has already launched a search for the chief sustainability officer position. 

“We’re very happy to welcome Linn to the executive committee. He has been with the Ahold Delhaize USA family of companies for a considerable amount of time and brings a broad range of legal and retail expertise to the role. I have come to know Linn as a sharp thinker, solutions provider and loyal and amiable colleague over the years and look forward to working with him in his new capacity,” said Muller in a statement.

Evans brings more than 32 years of legal leadership experience to the new role. With most of his career dedicated to grocery retail, Evans joined the Ahold Delhaize family of companies in 1998, starting as a senior attorney at Food Lion. 

A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with distinction and a law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a certified public accountant and is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals.