Lidl US Chooses 4 Execs to Enhance Customer Experience
Global retailer Lidl US has named four seasoned industry figures to the company’s leadership team: Miguel Paradela as EVP of purchasing and chief commercial officer, Frank Kerr as the company’s first-ever chief customer officer, Tod Seiling as VP of fresh and Michael Chao as head of marketing
Reporting to Lidl US CEO Joel Rampoldt, Paradela will be responsible for setting the long-term strategy for the buying and merchandising function at Lidl US. Paradela has more than 25 years of experience with the company, having most recently held the role of general manager of purchasing and marketing for Lidl Spain.
Reporting to Paradela, Kerr will be responsible for creating a holistic consumer experience. Returning for a second stint at Lidl US, where he was one of the first 50 employees, he will unite all customer-centric activities in a newly created team including consumer insights, marketing, loyalty and promotions. Kerr has worked in the U.S. grocery industry for more than 20 years at such companies as Save A Lot and Nestlé.
Also reporting to Paradela, Seiling brings almost 30 years of experience to his latest role, which involves the oversight of all fresh food buying, including meat, fish, poultry and produce. He joined discount grocer Lidl US from Save a Lot, where he was VP of fresh merchandising. Before that, Seiling held roles at Walmart, Albertsons Cos., Rouses Markets and Farmland Foods, a division of Smithfield Foods, among others. Seiling has spent his entire career in the fresh food sector.
Over the course of his career, Chao has held senior marketing roles for such well-known retailers as Dollar General, Joann Stores and Walmart. At Lidl US, he will be responsible for driving brand awareness and customer loyalty as the business continues to grow stateside. Chao reports to Kerr.
“I am excited to welcome Miguel, Frank, Tod and Michael to the team,” said Rampoldt. “Their combined expertise, incredible leadership and the work of their talented teams will be crucial to our success as we continue to deliver high-quality products at low prices for our customers. At Lidl, we are committed to boosting the customer experience at all of our stores, and having the right talent in place is necessary to achieve our goals.”
Neckarsulm, Germany-based Lidl operates more than 12,000 stores and is active in 32 countries, employing more than 360,000 employees globally. In the United States, the grocer has more than 170 stores across nine east coast states and Washington, D.C. Arlington, Va.-based Lidl US is No. 91 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
