The Giant Co. names new CFO and SVP of operations

The Giant Co. has named Rebecca Lupfer as chief financial officer and Dave Lessard as senior vice president of operations, customer experience and perishable distribution.

Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based The Giant Co. announced the new leadership appointments on Friday. On Monday, Lupfer and Lessard will both report directly to The Giant Co. president John Ruane, who was appointed to his position in July.

“Rebecca and Dave are talented, passionate and results-driven leaders with vast retail grocery experience and a deep awareness of our customers and their evolving needs,” said Ruane in a statement. “During their tenures with The Giant Co., they’ve made numerous contributions to our business and their teams, and I know they will continue to do so in their new roles, setting the stage for our company’s continued success.”

In her new position, Lupfer will lead the finance, format, real estate and strategy departments while Lessard will oversee the retail operations, perishable distribution and transportation teams.

Prior to this position, Lupfer had served as divisional president of the company’s Mid-Atlantic division, overseeing retail operations at 100 Giant and Martin’s stores in Central and Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.  

Lupfer began her career at Highmark Blue Cross. In 2005, she joined Ahold Financial Services as a business analyst where she held various internal audit positions of increasing responsibility before joining Ahold USA in 2016 as a portfolio lead for seasonal merchandising.

In 2018, she joined The Giant Co. as director of merchandising planning and was promoted to vice president of merchandising, center store, in 2019.

Lupfer currently serves on the board of directors for the Academy of Food Marketing and The Food Marketing Educational Foundation at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.  She earned an MBA from Lebanon Valley College and a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the Pennsylvania State University.

Lessard joined the Ahold Delhaize family of brands in 2002 as director of produce at Giant Landover, where he also served as vice president of produce, following a nearly 25-year career at The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P).

At Ahold USA, he held a variety of roles including director of produce and vice president of produce and floral, helping to lead the transformation of the company’s produce department in 2014. 

In 2018, Lessard joined The Giant Co. as vice president of fresh merchandising, where he oversaw the produce, meat and seafood, bakery, deli, prepared foods and floral departments. In 2022, he added oversight of the company’s perishable distribution center to his responsibilities.

Lessard currently serves on the board of directors for the York County Food Bank and on the Food Marketing Institute Fresh Food Leadership Council. He also serves as executive sponsor of the Barrier Free business resource group at The Giant Co. He has completed leadership programs at Harvard and Cornell University.

The Giant Co. is a banner of Ahold Delhaize USA. Founded in 1923, The Giant Co. family of brands includes Giant, Martin’s, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct.