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Rishton has been in the role of acting president and CEO since July 2007. Kimberly Ross, currently deputy chief financial officer, succeeds Rishton as chief financial officer.

She has been nominated by the supervisory board for appointment to the Ahold corporate executive board and will assume her responsibilities as acting executive board member with immediate effect.

In addition, Peter Wakkie, executive vice president and chief corporate governance counsel, has agreed to accept another term as a member of the corporate executive board.

Right individual 

René Dahan, chairman of Ahold’s supervisory board, said, “After careful consideration, the supervisory board unanimously reached the conclusion that John is the right individual to lead Ahold into the future. John has the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of Ahold, necessary to drive Ahold’s strategy for sustainable profitable growth. I am delighted he has accepted the role.”

A British national, Rishton joined Ahold on 1 January 2006 as chief financial officer. On 1 July 2007, he was appointed acting president and CEO, in addition to his role as CFO.

Soon after joining Ahold, Rishton formed part of a three-person retail review team, which, starting in May 2006, performed a comprehensive review of Ahold’s businesses. The recommendations of this review were used as the basis for the company’s current strategy for sustainable profitable growth which was announced in November of the same year.

Before joining Ahold, Rishton served as CFO at British Airways from 2001. He joined the airline in 1994 as financial controller in the United States, was appointed sales controller in 1996, operations controller in 1998 and commercial controller in 1999.

He was responsible for the company’s Future Size and Shape Strategy post-September 11 and for establishing strong financial control mechanisms. Before British Airways, Rishton worked for Ford Motor Company in various international executive positions between 1979 and 1994.

Rishton currently serves as a non-executive director for Rolls Royce where he is chairman of the audit committee and a member of the nominations committee. He previously served as a non-executive director at Allied Domecq. Rishton is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and received his Economics degree from Nottingham University.

Accounting irregularities 

The appointment of Ross to the corporate executive board and the reappointment of Wakkie will be proposed by the supervisory board to the annual general meeting of shareholders on 23 April 2008.

A US national, Ross joined Ahold in September 2001 as assistant treasurer. She became vice president and group treasurer in April 2002 and was promoted to senior vice president and group treasurer in January 2004. She was appointed senior vice president and chief treasury and tax officer in April 2005. Since July 1, 2007, Ross has served as the deputy CFO operating out of the Ahold Corporate Centre in Amsterdam.

Ross relocated the company’s treasury operations to Geneva soon after joining Ahold. She also helped to implement measures to ensure Ahold’s financial stability following the company’s 2003 accounting irregularities.

Ross previously held the position of senior manager at Ernst & Young in New York and director of corporate finance for the Americas at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc. She also held a number of other management positions at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc. from 1995 through 2001 as well as at Anchor Glass from 1992 to 1995.

Ross is a graduate of the University of Southern Florida with a degree in Accounting. She is a US Certified Public Accountant.

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