Southern Co-op chief executive Mark Smith is set to retire after more than 15 years in the role.

Smith, who has led the convenience retailer since 2009, will step down on 13 June, moving his focus to non-executive roles.

Southern Co-op chair of the board Dame Janet Paraskeva said that during Smith’s time as CEO, he more than doubled the size of the business.

She continued: “He’s successfully taken the society into the hospitality sector, where he’s built one of the largest Starbucks franchises in the country from scratch.

“Similarly, Mark has driven the diversification of our funeral care business into completely new markets, building new operations that now directly deliver several thousand cremations and natural burials each year.”

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

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

Mark Smith said: “Everything that’s been achieved reflects the talent and hard work of an incredible team of more than 4,000 people who make Southern Co-op what it is today. It’s been a pleasure working with the team on delivering such a wide range of plans.”

Bank of England chief operating officer Ben Stimson will take over the role as Southern Co-op chief executive later this year.

His previous consumer experience includes leadership roles at upmarket retailer Waitrose, where he served as both retail director and digital director.

Paraskeva said: “Ben will bring his very wide range of consumer and leadership experience to the role of CEO. This will be hugely valuable as he works with the board to develop plans for the medium term and beyond, building on the success of recent years to ensure our Co-op remains relevant and successful in the long term.”