Morrisons has unveiled a number of management changes as CEO Rami Baitiéh shapes his senior team for the retailer’s “next chapter”.
Australian supermarket Coles’ former liquor chief executive Darren Blackhurst has been appointed interim chief customer and marketing officer while Rachel Eyre is on maternity leave.
Blackhurst, who was previously at Morrisons between 2015 and 2019, primarily as group commercial director, will begin the role on 18 March.
Baitiéh said that Blackhurst’s first priorities include the grocer’s “pricing strategy, driving the trade agenda and further developing the promising Morrisons Media Group.”
It comes as convenience, online and wholesale director Joseph Sutton, and Morrisons’ manufacturing division Myton Food Group lead Andrew Thornber have both been appointed to the executive committee.
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
Chief financial officer Jo Goff, group people and corporate services director Clare Grainger, and group commercial director James Badger will remain in their current roles on the executive committee.
Other changes see Peter Laflin promoted to data services director, which Baitiéh said “reinforces our ambition of being an increasingly data and digitally driven company.”
Current Morrisons advisor, Eight Fifty Food Group chief executive and former Greencore UK CEO Di Walker has been appointed as non executive chair of Myton Food Group.
Baitiéh added: “Di Walker has been a valued and effective advisor to Myton Food Group recently and I’m sure she will bring even more to the business as chair.
“As quality and provenance become ever more important in British food supply, developing our food manufacturing operation further will become an even more powerful competitive advantage in bringing great quality food at attractive prices to our customers.”
It comes as Morrisons group retail director David Lepley resigned after nearly eight years at the supermarket giant earlier this month.
