Ahold Delhaize Legal, Sustainability Chief To Retire
Jan Ernst de Groot, Ahold Delhaize’s chief legal officer and chief sustainability office, will retire effective May 31, 2024, the grocery announced.
Following de Groot’s decision, the company will create a dedicated role for Sustainability in its executive committee. Linn Evans, currently chief legal officer and general counsel at Ahold Delhaize USA, will assume the role of chief legal officer for Ahold Delhaize. Company officials said they are starting the selection process for a chief sustainability officer.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Ahold Delhaize, a food retailer that is truly at the heart of society,” de Groot said. “I feel that the time is right to step back after more than nine years, during which the company has developed into a strong organization that is providing consistent value for all stakeholders while taking on the ambition of leading the transition to a sustainable food system. I am incredibly proud of what our teams have accomplished."
de Groot started as chief legal officer at Ahold Group in 2015, building on a career of executive and board level roles at companies such as TNT Express and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. After the merger in 2016, Jan Ernst remained CLO for the combined company. In August 2022, he also became Ahold Delhaize’s first chief sustainability officer.
"Jan Ernst has been a true partner, for the executive committee and me personally, over the years,” said Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. “His strong sense of ethics helped guide us through some turbulent times, and with his counsel and judgment, I have always been confident that we were well-equipped to handle the challenges that came our way. With his passion and strategic insight, he has brought structure to our ambition on sustainability, underpinning our thought leadership and performance in this area."
Evans, who will officially take the chief legal officer position in May of 2024, has more than 32 years of legal experience, with most of his career dedicated to grocery retail. He joined the Ahold Delhaize family of companies in 1998, starting as a senior attorney at Food Lion and has held legal leadership positions in each of the predecessor companies.
A native of Salisbury, N.C., and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with distinction and a law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and he is a certified public accountant. He also is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals.
