[Analysis] The appointment of Thierry Garnier ushers in a new era at Ahold Delhaize

Frans Muller’s successor at Ahold Delhaize has big shoes to fill. What does the retail group see in the British-French executive Thierry Garnier, who has a background at Carrefour, Kingfisher, and Tesco? Digital transformation may be the answer.

A major shift

Shareholders, investors, and analysts have reacted with some hesitation to the change in leadership at Ahold Delhaize announced on Wednesday. It was clear that the highly regarded Frans Muller would not remain at the helm of the company for many more years, but the choice of an outsider seems surprising at first glance. How was the succession process handled? Were there no competent internal candidates?