EuroCommerce, which represents the retail and wholesale sector in Europe, has announced the appointment of Christel Delberghe as its new director-general from 15 November.
Delberghe, who currently holds the position of executive director for competitiveness and communications at the Brussels-based group, takes over from Christian Verschueren, who has held the position of director general since 2011.
Delberghe joined EuroCommerce in 2001 to lead the office of the then-secretary general. Prior to her appointment, she worked on European affairs for Marks & Spencer, and also held a consultant role with Grayling.
'Thorough And Competitive Recruitment Process'
“Christel’s appointment is the culmination of a thorough and competitive recruitment process in which Christel came out as the very strongest candidate," commented Juan Manuel Morales, president of EuroCommerce and managing director of Grupo IFA.
"This was endorsed unanimously by the EuroCommerce board. Both they and I have been impressed by Christel’s knowledge of and passion for the retail and wholesale sector, which she has served in various roles over the last 20 years in EuroCommerce. She has shown energy and commitment in pursuing a wide range of projects, covering some of the most important issues confronting our sector."
Morales also paid tribute to Verschueren "for his dedication to our sector, his leadership over the last 10 years, and the solid foundation he is leaving behind".
Challenging Times Ahead
Commenting on the task ahead of her, Delberghe said that the retail and wholesale sectors face "immense challenges" over the coming years.
"Digital and sustainability are transforming our sector," she said. "I look forward to working with our members and EU decision-makers to achieve a regulatory and policy framework that supports the transformation and the significant investment needed to remain competitive and serve customers every day.”
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
