Pierre-Olivier Beckers, president & chief executive officer, Delhaize Group, has been elected chairman of CIES – The Food Business Forum by its members. He will hold the position for the next two years.

The CIES Board of Directors has been further strengthened with the arrival of two new board members: Jeff Noddle, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Supervalu, the third-largest grocery retail company in the USA and Michael Luscombe, CEO of Woolworths Australia, the number one retailer in its home market.

Pierre-Olivier Beckers has been president and chief executive officer of the Delhaize Group since 1999. The Belgian retail group was one of the founders of CIES, 55 years ago. He said, “CIES is a unique international organisation, providing a neutral place for debate between retailers and suppliers. As we enter challenging times, food and consumer goods companies play a vital social and economic role, by providing nutritious food and household essentials at everyday low prices."

The Food Business Forum brings together the CEOs and senior management of around 400 retailer and manufacturer members of all sizes, across 150 countries, providing a global platform for thought leadership, debate and networking between retailers and their partners.