ICA-Ahold strengthens joint venture in Scandinavia
Zaandam, The Netherlands, September 7, 2000 -- To maximize business development throughout Scandinavia and step up service to its millions of customers, the
ICA-Ahold joint venture has streamlined its management structure in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Baltic States. This was announced today by the Board of the ICA-Ahold joint venture.
ICA-Ahold Holding AB and ICA-AB will, as planned, now merge into one company
- ICA Ahold AB - responsible for all operations in the Nordic region. The CEO’s of the operating companies report directly to the Board. Its Chairman and President of the company, Roland Fahlin, is liaison officer for the ICA Handlarnas AB company. Deputy Chairman and Deputy President Stein Erik Hagen will be the Board’s liaison officer for Hakon Gruppen AS and Baltic operations. He continues as Chairman of the Board of the Hakon Gruppen AS in Norway.
Jan Andreae, member of the Ahold Corporate Executive Board, responsible for European activities, has also been appointed Deputy Chairman. Other Board members are Per-Anders Olofsson, Claes-Göran Sylvén, Michael Meurs, Gerard van Breen and Han Willemse.
Competence Center
The ICA-Ahold Board also announced the immediate formation of a Competence Center within the company. The Center provides Board and management teams of the Scandinavian operating companies with expertise, coordination and assistance in sourcing, business development, finance, internal audit, IT and legal affairs. The Competence Center focuses on assisting these operating companies to capture synergies among each other and jointly with Ahold companies in Europe and elsewhere. The Competence Center, currently being staffed, also implements projects assigned to them by the ICA-Ahold Board. It works closely with the Ahold European Competence Center based in The Netherlands.
Comments by Roland Fahlin, Chairman of the Board
Commenting on the new organizational structure of the activities in northern Europe, Roland Fahlin said the company is now well positioned ‘to grasp the considerable growth opportunities of our business in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Baltics. We can now act and react rapidly to all kinds of developments in the markets. There will be direct reporting lines enabling instant action. The operating companies are fully responsible for the growth of their operations and for meeting the targets agreed upon with the Board.
Albert Heijnweg 1, Zaandam
P.O. Box 3050, 1500 HB Zaandam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)75 659 5720
Fax: +31 (0)75 659 8302
Each CEO reports directly to one of the Liaison Officers and has access to international experience, market trends and retail expertise to improve business all the time. The CEO’s and their teams also have the tools to benefit from internal synergy and economies of scale, reflecting contributions from our joint venture partner Ahold.’
Fahlin mentioned that Ahold manages its largely autonomous store operations around the world in similar decentralized fashion. ‘That way the Ahold group has become highly effective and one of the world’s leading food retailers, constantly meeting customer expectations. We will ensure that our new structure benefits all stakeholders, from customers, associated retailers and employees to Nordic business in general. We accelerate decision-making and growth while providing the necessary flexibility to always stay on the ball. We are very pleased.’
Appointments
With regard to the new organizational structure for its Northern Europe operations,
Svante Nilsson, currently President of ICA AB and ICA Handlarnas AB, has resigned.
The present Deputy President Anders Nyberg, will serve as President ad-interim of ICA
Handlarnas AB.
Peter Ruzicka, currently President of Hakon Gruppen AS in Norway, has been appointed CEO of Ahold’s operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His successor will be named in due course.
Johan Röhss, currently CFO of ICA AB, has been appointed Senior Vice President of the
ICA-Ahold Competence Center.
Five ICA-Ahold operating companies
Five operating companies currently belong to the ICA-Ahold joint venture:
ICA Handlarnas AB in Sweden, the Hakon Gruppen AS in Norway, the ICA Meny Food Distribution Company (serving the out-of-home market), the Baltic operation ICA Baltic AB and the 50/50 joint venture Statoil Retail, which will also report to the Board of the ICA-Ahold joint venture in the near future. The currently modest activities in Denmark are part of the ICA Sweden operations for the time being.
Ahold Public Relations: +31 75 659 5720
Mobile: Hans Gobes +31 655 822 298, Jan Hol +31 622 933 137