Ahold Delhaize CFO to Step Down

Ahold Delhaize has announced that its chief financial officer will step down this summer.

Natalie Knight, who has served as CFO since 2020, will leave the position at the Netherlands-based grocery parent company and return to the U.S. Knight joined Ahold Delhaize from Arla Foods, a Denmark-based global dairy company, where her most recent position was CFO, overseeing the company’s finance, legal and IT functions.

Before Arla, she held various financial roles at global sportswear manufacturer Adidas for over 17 years, holding such senior roles as CFO of Adidas North America and SVP of group functions finance.

“It has been an honor to serve this great company and its associates during a time when the COVID-19 pandemic showed us the importance of grocery retail in the communities we serve,” said Knight. “I am proud that throughout it all, we’ve been able to deliver not only strong financial results but also ensure financial stability of the company, advance e-commerce profitability and increase our future-focused investments such as sustainability. I look forward to continue working with Frans and the team to ensure a smooth transition and to help identify my successor.”

Ahold Delhaize said that a search for Knight’s successor has started. Ahold Delhaize USA operates more than 7,450 stores across the country across several grocery banners.

“Although her time at Ahold Delhaize has been short, I respect Natalie’s decision to move her family back to the United States after more than 25 years in Europe,” said Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. “During her tenure here, Natalie has had a positive impact on our company, driving greater alignment across the Finance function, fueling our Save for our Customers program and taking financial reporting and communication to the next level. Her passion for sustainability and diversity has supported advancing these topics across our business."