Arlington / VA. (lus) Lidl US LLC, a subsidiary of German Schwarz Group, has announced the appointment of four industry powerhouses to the company’s leadership team. They include Miguel Paradela, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Purchasing and Chief Commercial Officer; Frank Kerr, Chief Customer Officer; Tod Seiling, Vice President (VP) of Fresh and Michael Chao, Head of Marketing – as follows:
(Photo: Lidl US LLC)
Reporting to CEO Joel Rampoldt, Miguel Paradela has been appointed EVP of Purchasing and Chief Commercial Officer responsible for setting the long-term strategy for the buying and merchandising function at Lidl US. Paradela has over 25 years of experience with the international grocer, where he most recently served as the General Manager of Purchasing and Marketing for Lidl Spain.
Lidl has also announced the appointment of Frank Kerr as Lidl’s first ever Chief Customer Officer, responsible for driving a holistic consumer experience. Kerr, who returns for a second stint at Lidl US, where he was one of the first 50 employees, will bring all customer-centric activities together in this newly created team, which will include consumer insights, marketing, loyalty and promotions. Kerr has been in the US grocery industry for over 20 years and has worked at major brands including Save A Lot and Nestle. Kerr will report to Paradela.
With almost 30 years of experience, Tod Seiling has joined Lidl US as Vice President of Fresh, reporting to Paradela. Seiling will oversee all fresh food buying including meat, fish, poultry and produce. Joining most recently from Save a Lot where he served as VP of Fresh Merchandising, Seiling has spent his entire career in fresh food. He previously held roles at Walmart, Albertsons, Rouses Market and Farmland Foods, a division of Smithfield Foods, among others. Seiling will report to Paradela.
Finally, Michel Chao has joined Lidl US as Vice President, Head of Marketing, reporting to Kerr. Over the course of his career, Chao has held senior marketing roles for some of the nation’s most well-known retailers including Dollar General, JOANN Stores and Walmart. At Lidl US, Chao will be responsible for driving brand awareness and customer loyalty as the business continues to grow in the U.S. market.
Commenting on the new hires, Lidl US CEO Lidl US CEO Joel Rampoldt said: «I am excited to welcome Miguel, Frank, Tod and Michael to the team. Their combined expertise, incredible leadership and the work of their talented teams will be crucial to our success as we continue to deliver high quality products at low prices for our customers. At Lidl, we are committed to boosting the customer experience at all of our stores and having the right talent in place is necessary to achieve our goals.»
