Michael Vail Will Succeed Brad Wise As Hannaford's New President
SCARBOROUGH, ME - Hannaford Supermarkets has announced its new President, who will take over for Brad Wise when he retires June 30.
The new President will be Michael Vail, currently the Chief Merchant and Supply Chain Officer for Delhaize America and a longtime veteran of both companies, according to MaineBiz. His roles with Hannaford have included Retail Management Trainee, Store Manager, District Manager, Category Manager and Director of Deli Merchandising.
Before leading the supply chain for Delhaize America, Vail was President and Chief Operating Officer of Sweetbay Supermarkets in Florida.
Wise, a 30-year veteran of Hannaford and Delhaize America, began his career with the organization as a retail management trainee and worked as a Store Manager and Regional Vice President of Retail Operations, among other roles. Before becoming Hannaford president in 2012, Wise was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Delhaize America. The company announced his intention to retire Wednesday.
“Brad’s announcement of his retirement marks a transition in his distinguished and successful career with our company,” said Kevin Holt, Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize America, in MaineBiz. “During the next few months, Brad and Mike will work together to develop a smooth transition plan to ensure the continued forward momentum of our Hannaford strategic plan. I am grateful that we were able to tap into strong internal talent to ensure a seamless transition.”
According to the Portland Press Herald, Hannaford is Maine’s largest private employer, with 7,500 to 8,000 workers, and operates 186 stores throughout the Northeast. Founded in 1883, the company joined Delhaize America, a subsidiary of Belgian company Delhaize Group, in 1999 in a $3.6 billion merger.
