By George Anderson
Delhaize America has named Shelley Broader as president and chief operating officer of its 137 store Kash n' Karry chain in Florida.
Ms. Broader moves to her new position from Delhaize's Hannaford operations. There she served as senior vice president of Business Strategy, Marketing and Communication. In that position, Ms. Broader was responsible for setting and communicating strategic direction.
Ronald Hodge, executive vice president, Delhaize Group and chief executive officer and president, Hannaford Bros. said, "Shelley was instrumental in repositioning Hannaford for long term growth."
He added, "Shelley's strong analytical skills, ability to set and articulate strategic direction, build consensus, and grow sales make her a terrific choice to lead Kash n' Karry going forward."
Kash n' Karry operates stores in the highly competitive Florida market. Ms. Broader offered this assessment. "To thrive in the dynamic, highly competitive marketplace in which we operate, we'll need to anticipate customers' needs and then surpass their expectations, so Kash n' Karry becomes the supermarket of choice for Florida consumers. I'm confident we are positioned to grow our business and our bottom line."
Moderator's Comment: Do you place any significance on Delhaize America's decision to name Shelley Broader to run Kash n' Karry? What challenges does she face and what will she need to do to achieve success?
We've been vocal with our opinion that more women are needed in leadership positions to better respond to the needs of the most important retail customers. Ms. Broader's selection to run Kash n' Karry will certainly put that theory to test.
In her favor, Ms. Broader's responsibilities at Hannaford included "maintaining a strong connection with consumers." It will take that and more if Kash n' Karry is to be successful against the likes of Wal-Mart, Publix, etc. [George Anderson - Moderator]