Giant Food Names President

Ahold Delhaize USA has officially named Ira Kress president of Giant Food. Kress is no stranger to the role, having been interim president since June 2019, when Giant Food's Gordon Reid moved to the helm of Stop & Shop.

Kress joined Giant Food in 1984, starting in store operations management and holding a variety of leadership roles for both the banner and parent company Ahold Delhaize USA. 

“It’s been an honor and privilege to lead Giant Food, especially during this time when our customers and communities have never needed us more," Kress said. "I’m honored to continue in the role and am incredibly appreciative of our associates who serve our customers with excellence every day. I look forward to continuing to grow the Giant Food brand in our communities.”

Kress is active in the community and serves as a board member on the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology Advisory Council and the Ahold Delhaize USA Family Foundation.

“Ira has been a dedicated leader for Giant Food for 36 years, and we are proud to appoint him to this role,” said Kevin Holt, president, Ahold Delhaize USA. “Ira has been serving as interim president of Giant Food since last summer, and he has continued to lead the brand with success. He is an excellent leader, with a strong focus on serving customers, engaging associates and supporting local communities. During his role as interim president, Ira has continued to successfully grow sales [and] market share and build strong associate engagement during an unprecedented time for our industry.”

Giant Food is based in Landover, Md., and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2020 list of the top food retailers in North America.