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Pierre-Olivier Beckers has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize Group since January 1, 1999, and Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize America since September, 2002. Mr. Beckers earned a Master's degree in applied economics at I.A.G., Louvain-La-Neuve and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He began working in the food retail industry in 1982 as a store manager for a bakery chain in Belgium. Mr. Beckers joined Delhaize Group in 1983, to work initially three year in the U.S. operations of the Group as a store manager. After his return to Belgium, he broadened his retail experience as a buyer, director of purchasing, member of the Executive Committee and Director and Executive Vice-President of the Executive Committee in charge of international activities. In January 2000, Mr. Beckers was named Manager of the Year, a prestigious distinction awarded by the leading Belgian business magazine Trends/Tendances. He is on the Board of Directors of the Food Marketing Institute and of CIES - The Food Business Forum (an international food business network serving as interface between retailers and suppliers). In December 2004, he was elected to a four-year term as Chairman of the BOIC (Belgian Olympic Committee). | 