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Giant Food names Irfan Badibanga to lead operations

Grocery industry veteran held VP roles at Family Dollar, Walmart

Russell Redman

October 29, 2020

2 Min Read
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Landover, Md.-based Giant said Irfan Badibanga brings strong operations and management experience in supermarket, small- and big-box retail settings.Giant Food of Landover

Former Family Dollar and Walmart executive Irfan Badibanga has joined Giant Food as senior vice president of operations.

Plans call for Badibanga to start in his new role on Nov. 1, Landover, Md.-based Giant said Thursday. In the position, he will oversee all operational aspects at Giant, including regional operations, store support, strategic store planning and execution, and asset protection, along with people, team and culture development. Ira Kress held that post before being named interim president of Giant in July 2019 and then permanent president this past May.

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“I am thrilled to be joining Giant Food, which has over 84 years’ experience serving the community, and am looking forward to the opportunity to work with Giant associates who are passionate about serving their customers and helping their community,” Badibanga (left) said in a statement. “Consumer preferences are shifting, and at Giant, product excellence, convenience and value are key. I believe my work experience has prepared me well, and I am excited to join the Giant team as we continue to implement brand and operational strategies to serve our customers best.”

Badibanga comes to Giant from Family Dollar (part of Dollar Tree), where he served as senior VP of operations and oversaw 8,000 U.S. stores in 44 states. Before that, he spent nearly 10 years at Walmart, most recently as vice president of operations, a role in which Giant said he was responsible for 33,000 associates across a 110-store region generating annual revenue of $8 billion.

Related:Giant Food expands locally made product menu for delivery

Giant noted that Badibanga brings a strong operations and management track record in supermarket, small- and big-box retail settings, which besides Walmart and Family Dollar include Winn-Dixie, H-E-B and Price Chopper Supermarkets. He started his grocery retail career as a bagger at Winn-Dixie and by age 24 was promoted to district manager. Later, he rose through the ranks at various grocery chains, building his experience in store management, merchandising, operations, omnichannel delivery, asset protection, human resources and general management.

“Irfan has been a successful, entrepreneurial leader, driving enormous growth at some of the largest retail organizations in this country,” Kress stated. “We are confident that his deep management and operations expertise at both the regional and national level will bring tremendous value to our organization at a time when we are implementing a transformational brand strategy and evolving our culture.”

Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, Giant Food operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, including 153 full-service pharmacies, 82 PNC Banks and 24 Starbucks locations.

Related:Expansion under way at Giant Food's Jessup, Md., warehouse

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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