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PRESIDENT AND CEO, LIDL U.S., ARLINGTON COUNTY
PRESIDENT AND CEO, LIDL U.S., ARLINGTON COUNTY
Virginia Business// August 29, 2024//
Lidl, a German discount retail grocery chain, entered the U.S. market in 2017. But it struggled to compete with its chief rival, Aldi, and other discount retailers, and Lidl has changed its U.S. CEO three times since 2018. In August 2023, Rampoldt took the reins as the first American to lead Lidl’s U.S. division.
His roots in the retail and grocery industry run deep: His first job was as a bagger at his local Kroger at age 15. After earning an MBA from Yale, he spent two decades advising leaders of U.S. and European grocery companies as a consultant at Oliver Wyman, KPMG and AlixPartners.
Lidl has followed the appointment of Rampoldt by hiring four new executives and conducting layoffs in March, about a year after laying off 200 employees. In stores, Lidl has relaunched its fresh meat and produce divisions, and Rampoldt said in a March interview with Progressive Grocer that the chain would tailor its nonfood products to appeal to U.S. customers.
In January, Rampoldt joined the board of directors of the Food Industry Association for a three-year term.
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