Boer to Become Next Ahold CEO

Dick Boer will take over as CEO of Ahold in March 2011, when John Rishton will leave the company to become CEO of Rolls-Royce plc. An Ahold employee since 1998, Boer is currently COO of Ahold Europe and a member of the Amsterdam-based retail conglomerate’s corporate executive board.

Additionally, Carl Schlicker, now CEO of Ahold USA Retail, will succeed Larry Benjamin as COO Ahold USA on Benjamin’s retirement early next year, and Sander van der Laan, currently general manager of Albert Heijn, will succeed Boer as COO Ahold Europe. Both Schlicker and van der Laan will report to Boer.

As of March 2011, Ahold's corporate executive board will consist of Boer, CFO Kimberly Ross and chief corporate governance counsel Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh. According to the company, this management structure will ensure that the new COOs focus on managing and strengthening the businesses, while the board deals with strategy and growth.