Ahold Delhaize Gets New CTO
Global retail conglomerate Ahold Delhaize has appointed Jan Brecht chief technology officer (CTO) and a member of its executive committee, effective Sept. 26. Brecht will succeed Ben Wishart, who will step down from the executive committee and leave the company after 12 years as Ahold Delhaize’s CTO.
Brecht brings to his new role extensive experience in digital transformation and enterprise technology leadership. His most recent position was chief digital information officer at Nissan Motor. Previously, he was CIO at Mercedes-Benz Group, where he oversaw the company’s IT strategy during a period of significant innovation and digitalization. Earlier in his career, he was CIO and head of global supply chain at Adidas Group. Brecht earned a degree in electrical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and has lived and worked in Europe, the United States and Japan.
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Wishart joined Ahold in 2013 as CTO and became a member of the Ahold Delhaize executive committee in 2018. During his time in the role, he has helped shape the company’s technology strategy, overseeing the development of core retail and digital platforms, in addition to scaling group-wide sourcing and solution delivery.
“Ben has been a driving force behind our digital transformation and a trusted leader in our executive committee,” noted Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller. “We are grateful for the many contributions Ben has made as CTO and as a leader across the company. We are thrilled to welcome Jan, whose international experience and visionary leadership, coupled with deep tech expertise and passion for consumers and data, will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our technology landscape to better serve our customers and brands. His experience positions him well to support our Growing Together strategy’s direction of advancing cost efficiency, simplicity, resilience and IT security.”
As CTO, Brecht will head the company’s technology function, overseeing enterprise tech strategy, digital innovation, cybersecurity, and enabling Ahold Delhaize’s local brands to leverage the organization’s scale to ramp up the development of scalable, customer-centric platforms.
“I’m honored to join Ahold Delhaize at such a pivotal time, with the Growing Together strategy having made a solid start since its launch last year,” said Brecht. “The company’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, modernization and customer experience aligns perfectly with my own experience and values. I look forward to working with talented teams across the company to build the next generation of digital and AI/data capabilities that will power the future of retail.”
“It has been a privilege to serve Ahold Delhaize and to work alongside such dedicated colleagues across our group and local brands,” noted Wishart. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and confident that Jan will bring fresh energy and insights to continue advancing our technology agenda. I wish him and the team every success in the journey ahead.”
Starting Sept. 1, Brecht and Wishart Ben will work together over the course of the month to ensure a seamless transition.
Ahold Delhaize is one of the world’s largest food retail groups. The Zaandam, Netherlands-based company’s family of local brands serves 72 million-plus customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 390,000 associates in around 9,400 grocery and specialty stores. The company’s Ahold Delhaize USA division is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Ahold Delhaize one of its Retailers of the Century and Ahold Delhaize USA among the 10 Most Sustainable Grocers of 2025.
