Delhaize Group Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels: DELB, NYSE: DEG), the Belgian international food retailer, is pleased to announce that Stéfan Descheemaeker will join the Company on January 5, 2009 as its new Chief Financial Officer responsible for finance and strategy. Stéfan Descheemaeker comes to Delhaize Group with an impressive track record in general, finance and strategy management positions at Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the world’s top five consumer products companies, and the holding companies Cobepa and Definance.

Stéfan Descheemaeker, 48, spent the last 12 years of his professional career with Anheuser-Busch InBev. In 1996, he joined the Belgian brewer where he became Executive Vice President External Growth, managing its M&A operations, culminating with the merger of Interbrew and AmBev in 2004. At that point in time, he transitioned to operational management, successfully in charge of respectively the brewer’s operations in the U.S. and Mexico, Central and Eastern Europe, and, eventually, Western Europe. In 2008, Stéfan Descheemaeker ended his operational responsibilities at Anheuser-Busch InBev as a member of its Executive Board of Management and joined the company’s Board as non-executive director.

Stéfan started his career with Cobepa, at that time the Benelux investment company of BNP-Paribas. He later joined the holding company Defi as CEO of its financial subsidiary Definance, of which he led the IPO process. During this period, he built strong investment, financial and tax expertise. Stéfan is married and has three children, is a Belgian citizen and holds a Masters’ degree as Commercial Engineer, Solvay Business School, Brussels, Belgium.

“We are delighted to welcome Stéfan Descheemaeker to our Company and its Executive Committee”, says Pierre-Olivier Beckers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize Group. “Stéfan’s leadership and drive are outstanding. He has large general management experience on both sides of the Atlantic and extensive financial know how. Moreover, Stéfan has an impressive track record in the field of cost and performance management and the execution of growth projects that will be invaluable in helping Delhaize Group achieve its business objectives.”

Stéfan Descheemaeker succeeds Craig Owens, who left Delhaize Group on September 30, 2008, to seize another professional opportunity. As Executive Vice President of Delhaize Group and a member of its Executive Committee, he will be responsible for finance and strategy, including acquisitions.

Delhaize Group is a Belgian food retailer present in seven countries on three continents. At the end of September 2008, Delhaize Group’s sales network consisted of 2,630 stores. In 2007, Delhaize Group posted EUR 19.0 billion (USD 26.0 billion) in revenues and EUR 410.1 million (USD 562.1 million) in net profit (Group share). At the end of 2007, Delhaize Group employed approximately 138,000 people. Delhaize Group’s stock is listed on Euronext Brussels (DELB) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEG).