Unitas Wholesale, created as a result of members of the Landmark Wholesale and Today’s Group buying groups voting to merge earlier this month, has unveiled its leadership team.
Landmark’s Sam Wilcox will become Unitas Wholesale chairman, and Simon Hannah, of Today’s member JW Filshill, will become deputy chairman.
Today’s MD Darren Goldney becomes Unitas’ managing director, and Landmark MD John Mills assumes the role of deputy managing director.
Wilcox said: “Darren and John have worked hard and collaboratively over recent months to cut through previous organisational differences and focus on the vision and strategy that will work for both groups’ members and suppliers in the long term and both boards thank them. Their complementary range of skills will be vital to drive our development agenda and bring the great experiences of both organisations together to form a new one.”
Elsewhere, Andrew Thewlis has been appointed as finance director, John Baines becomes trading director and John Kinney takes up the role of retail director.
Today’s finance director and former acting MD John Schofield, meanwhile, has taken the decision to retire from the business in May 2019. “John has a long and distinguished track record of success with Nisa and Today’s Group and through that journey he has gained huge respect from members, suppliers and staff,” Goldney said. “We are delighted that John has agreed to act as transformation director from the formation of Unitas until he leaves in May 2019.”
In addition to the executive directors, the new Unitas Wholesale board will be made up of eight member-directors from each group, ensuring all channels and business types are represented. All appointments are effective from 1 November 2018.
