Ahold Delhaize has announced the appointment of Margaret Versteden-Van Duijn as chief executive officer of its Europe & Indonesia business and as a member of the group's Management Board.

Versteden-Van Duijn will join the executive leadership team as executive vice president for Europe & Indonesia on 1 October 2026. Her appointment to the management board and role as chief executive officer Europe & Indonesia remains subject to shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting later this year.

She will succeed Claude Sarrailh, who will leave the business at the end of September. The firm said the pair will work together during September to ensure a smooth handover.

Versteden-Van Duijn joined Ahold Delhaize in 2015 as chief marketing officer at online retail platform bol. She became brand president of bol in 2021 before taking on her current role leading Dutch retail brands Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall.

Before joining Ahold Delhaize, she held positions at Bain & Company, Nike, and Boston Consulting Group. She also serves on the board of directors of Hero Group.

Ahold Delhaize said it has started the process of finding a successor to lead Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall. Until a replacement is appointed, Versteden-Van Duijn will retain overall responsibility for the three brands with support from their existing leadership teams.

Frans Muller, president and chief executive of Ahold Delhaize, said: "Margaret brings strong operational leadership, broad experience across our European businesses and a clear understanding of what makes our great local brands successful.

"During her time at Ahold Delhaize, she has built a strong track record leading customer-focused, purpose-led businesses. She combines operational discipline with digital and AI-enabled acceleration, adjacent business development, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and long-term value creation."

---