2025 Grocery Industry Icons & Innovators

The current Head of Loyalty & Digital for Giant Food, Ryan Draude has invested his career in the evolution of long-term customer relationships made through the benefits of loyalty & retention programs.

With Giant, he is responsible for fostering omnichannel customer relationships with shoppers in the Mid-Atlantic’s largest grocery chain. Giant is part of Ahold Delhaize, a global leader in grocery retail.

Ryan formerly led Choice Privileges, the multi-billion-dollar reward program for Choice Hotels, and over a five-year period overhauled the program via the scrutiny of member data and the respect to listen to what members sought from the program. The results catapulted the program to its first major Freddie Award and moved the program from #11 in the country to #2 in the US News & World Report’s Best Hotel Reward Program category.

Prior, Ryan earned a U.S. patent for his work standing up Sallie Mae’s initial loyalty frameworks via his delivery of the first true-cost college affordability online tool for all families to understand the real education financing. His tenure includes other Vice President and Director loyalty leadership positions with Rite Aid, Capital One, Citigroup and Switchfly.