Sainsbury’s appoints former Unilever HR VP as chief people officer

Sainsbury’s has appointed former Unilever vice president of HR, Prerana Issar as its new chief people officer.

According to reporting by The Grocer, Issar will begin the role at the Big 4 grocer in June, leading Sainsbury’s flexible working practices and pay stategy.

Most recently Issar held the position of chief people officer for the NHS, where she was placed since 2019.

Also having had roles within the food sector, Issar was chief HR officer at the World Food Programme and spent seven years at Unilever, where she took on positions including global HR director for food and HR vice president acoss its global foods category.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

“I am delighted that Prerana is joining our team. She brings a multi sector background and a strong and broad HR experience to our business, especially with her focus on purpose as both a unifying force and a driver of business results,” Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts told The Grocer.

”In this crucial third year of our Food First plan and as we look to the future, we will continue to drive forward our strategy through engaging and mobilising all our people and, as a result, deliver the best possible experience for our customers.”

Issar will be replacing current HR director, Angie Risley, who Roberts said has been “a committed member of the Operating Board,” adding, “I am hugely grateful to her for everything she has done.”