Ahold names new finance chief

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — Ahold has announced the appointment of Jeff Carr as EVP and CFO, starting Nov. 12. Carr will be a member of Ahold’s corporate executive board, pending shareholder approval. He will succeed Kimberly Ross who is leaving Ahold in November to become CFO of Avon.

Carr will be responsible for Ahold’s finance, real estate and IT functions. He will also manage the company’s existing €350 million cost reduction program and explore further ways to reduce costs and simplify the business.

"We are delighted to have an experienced finance professional of Jeff’s caliber joining our board," said Dick Boer, CEO of Ahold. "He has an impressive track record and broad experience in the consumer goods and services industry on both of the continents where Ahold operates. Jeff has been CFO of listed companies since 2005, and has worked and lived in Europe and the United States. His background and expertise in finance will help us to pursue our growth strategy," Boer said.

Carr (49) is a British national. He is currently group finance director and a member of the board at UK-based FirstGroup, the leading transport operator in the United Kingdom and North America, including Greyhound in the United States and Canada. Before joining FirstGroup, he was group finance director and board member at easyJet, and held senior financial roles at Associated British Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, and Grand Metropolitan. He began his career at Unilever.