The Giant Co. Names New CFO, SVP of Operations

The Giant Co. has named Rebecca Lupfer as its new CFO, and also promoted Dave Lessard to the role of SVP of operations, customer experience and perishable distribution, effective Oct. 16. Both executives will report directly to John Ruane, company president.

Lupfer, who joined Ahold Financial Services in 2005 and most recently served as divisional president of Giant Co.’s Mid-Atlantic division, will lead the finance, format, real estate and strategy departments. Lessard, who joined the Ahold Delhaize family of brands in 2002 as director of produce at Giant Landover, will oversee the retail operations, perishable distribution and transportation teams.

“Rebecca and Dave are talented, passionate, and results-driven leaders, with vast retail grocery experience and a deep awareness of our customers and their evolving needs,” said Ruane. “During their tenures with The Giant Co., they’ve made numerous contributions to our business and their teams, and I know they will continue to do so in their new roles, setting the stage for our company’s continued success.”

For his part, Ruane was officially named president of Giant Co. in July after holding the role of interim president of the grocery chain following the departure of Nick Bertram in September 2022. Before his stint as interim president, Ruane was SVP and chief commercial officer for The Giant Co., a role in which he led the merchandising and marketing teams to develop and implement customer-centric strategies that supported the continued growth of the brand while also improving customers’ experience and the overall value proposition.

With more than 35,000 associates supporting more than 190 stores, 130-plus pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and 180-plus online pickup hubs and a grocery delivery service in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey, Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. encompasses the following banners: Giant, Martin’s, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century and its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.