Ahold USA Names Tonya Herring SVP Nonperishable Merch

Ahold USA has appointed Tonya Herring its SVP, nonperishable merchandising, effective Feb. 23. In her role, which will be based in Ahold USA's Carlisle, Pa., headquarters, Herring will oversee the general merchandise, pet, fuel, dairy and frozen departments.

With the addition of Herring, Ahold USA's nonperishable category has been reorganized into two leadership streams as part of the company's continuing strategy to align more closely with market and customer needs. Jeff Dichele will remain as SVP, nonperishable merchandising, but add to his duties oversight of the beverage, commercial bakery and baking, breakfast, candy, ethnic and specialty, and natural and organic departments.

Herring joins Ahold USA with 23 years of experience in various roles at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway Inc. Starting as a deli department manager, she rose through the ranks to multiunit roles. Herring also took on leadership positions in corporate merchandising, marketing and category management. Her most recent position was Safeway’s VP of category development consumer brands, in which she had end-to-end responsibility for perishable strategy, including financial goals, product development, merchandising, pricing and execution.

While at Safeway, Herring was twice named a PG Top Woman in Grocery, in 2013 and 2014.

"Tonya brings a real passion for the grocery business to her new role with Ahold USA, and her strong balance of operations, marketing and merchandising experience blends well with our team," noted Ahold USA EVP of Merchandising Mark McGowan.

Part of Ahold, a Dutch-based international food retailing group that operates supermarkets in the United States and Europe, Ahold USA supports four regional divisions – Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, and Giant Carlisle – that collectively operate more than 770 supermarkets with about 120,000 associates in 14 states and the District of Columbia, along with Skokie, Ill.-based Peapod, an e-commerce grocery shopping/delivery service.