Morrisons has appointed Carrefour France boss Rami Baitiéh as its new CEO, as David Potts stepped down after nine years at the grocer.
Baitiéh starts in November and will work closely with Potts to ensure a smooth handover period.
The incoming CEO said that he wanted “to help build on the strong links the company has with its loyal customers and the communities where it operates”.
“As a manufacturer, wholesaler and seller of food, Morrisons is uniquely positioned to grow in the coming years while remaining deeply focused on customer satisfaction.”
“I look forward to building on David’s strong legacy of always putting shoppers first and thank him for his help in the transition,” he said.
Sir Terry Leahy, senior advisor at Morrisons owner CD&R, described Baitiéh as “an exceptionally talented and highly capable leader”, citing his strong track record of driving performance.
“Rami will bring energy, innovation, and dedication to expanding Morrisons loyalty programmes and digital reach, while ensuring that the company’s long legacy of quality, and mission to deliver value for shoppers is preserved,” he said.
Leahy, who previously worked with Potts at Tesco, thanked the outgoing CEO for his service.
“This is a bittersweet farewell for me because I have known and worked with David for decades, but I will be happy to see the start of his next adventure.
“David skilfully led the renewal of the Morrisons brand as well as navigating several twists and turns during his tenure, including the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, but he leaves the company poised for growth.”
The appointment was announced as Morrisons unveiled its third quarter results, where like-for-like sales, excluding fuel and VAT, edged up 2.9%.
Total sales, excluding fuel, rose 3.1% to £3.8bn over the quarter to 30 July. The retailer said its competitive position was improving thanks to the investment in its ‘Prices Locked Low’ campaign. Its Morrisons More Card relaunch had got off to a strong start with more than one million additional active users.
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Potts said: “The Q3 results today show that the business is once again on a steady growth path with plenty of opportunities ahead and I’m full of confidence about its future. In my remaining time as CEO, I will be working hard to prepare for the handover, and I look forward to giving Rami all the assistance and advice that he needs during the transition.”
“We are shaping a broader and stronger Morrisons. Alongside the growth in our supermarkets, we have made further progress across the business with our wholesale, convenience and food manufacturing operations also showing consistent growth,” he added.
As he prepared to step down, Potts described his tenure at Morrisons as “the privilege of my working life”.
“Rami is joining a very special company with talented and dedicated colleagues and a unique position in British grocery, food making and farming.”
“Terry and I have had several conversations about succession since the buyout in 2021. We had a clear understanding that I was prepared to devote several more years to Morrisons if that was required, but that if an outstanding successor was identified who could lead Morrisons for the long term, then I would step down.”
Potts said he planned to take a short break following his departure but would then “look for further ways to contribute to business and to the UK’s economic recovery from the pandemic”.
