The UK’s Bestway has announced the appointment of three executives to its senior trading team, effective from early November.
The company noted that the move reflects its ‘commitment to investing in talent to underpin its position with both suppliers and customers as the business continues to grow while maintaining high levels of product availability and customer service to its retailers,’ according to media reports.
Bestway has named former Coles Group executive Andrew Kenny as the new trading director of Bestway Retail.
Kenny will report to Bestway Group trading director Kenton Burchell and focus on Bestway’s Centre of Excellence, to enhance its off-licence and convenience offers, with an emphasis on franchisees and retailers to support sales.
Kenny succeeds Mike Owen, who will leave the group at the end of this year.
In the new role, Kenny will lead the Bestway Retail buying teams based in the Stoke and York offices, the report noted.
Other Appointments
Elsewhere, Robbie Moore has been appointed as retail commercial manager of Bestway Wholesale, responsible for improving the product offer in the division, to drive sales across Bestway’s corporate and company-owned stores.
Previously, Moore served as head of trading at SPAR Scotland, with responsibility for leading and developing the trading team, as well as restructuring and future-proofing the department.
The company has also appointed Les Mohammed as the head of trading at Bestway Wholesale.
Mohammed will be responsible for crucial trading initiatives, projects, and process improvement across the wholesale trading team and report to Kenton Burchell.
Mohammed is an experienced professional who served as senior trading controller at Unitas Wholesale, where he was responsible for on-trade, foodservice and own-brands.
Commenting on the appointments, Burchell said, “With these new appointments, we are now set up to enter a new era in our Bestway journey, to cement our position as the number-one choice for independent retailers across the industry for cash-and-carry, catering and off-trade, retail and pet customers.”
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
