// Marks & Spencer boosts food team with 4 new directors as it preps for Ocado joint venture
// Pav Anand is head of food strategy and special products
// Lisa Raschia is head of produce and horticulture
// David Stokes is head of sourcing, and Laurissa Kuligowski is commercial strategy & operations director
Marks & Spencer has bolstered the senior team for its food division with four new directors ahead of its online joint venture with Ocado.
According to The Times, Tesco strategy director Pav Anand has been appointed M&S head of food strategy and special products and Sainsbury’s head of technical Lisa Raschia is now head of produce and horticulture.
Meanwhile, Danish Crown supply chain director David Stokes has been appointed head of sourcing, and PwC’s Laurissa Kuligowski will step into the role of commercial strategy and operations director at M&S.
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The four will report to M&S food commercial director George Wright.
M&S Food managing director Stuart Machin, who is overseeing the transformation of M&S’s food division, reportedly informed staff of the new appointments in an internal note.
”We’re making good progress on our food transformation, but we know this is just the first stage of a multi-year plan,” he said.
As part of his transformation, Machin improved prices and the supply chain to help boost sales volumes.
He has also launched new-format food halls and stores designed to better showcase M&S’s range and quality.
The appointments come after the retail bellwether’s capital markets day last week saw it update investors and brokers over the progress of its overall transformation programme, which has taken place since the start of the year under the leadership of group chief executive Steve Rowe.
Rowe said at the time that M&S remained focused on “restoring the basics” and would not rush the transformation scheme.
Senior management also said M&S will boost its food business through the transformation plan by working to lower costs and modernise its supply chain.
Earlier this year, M&S announced joint venture with online grocer Ocado, which is expected to go live next year.
The partnership will enable M&S to sell its food range online for the first time.
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