tesco store

The exodus of senior figures at Tesco has continued with online managing director Simon Belsham leaving to become CEO of online marketplace rival notonthehighstreet.com.

Belsham, a supermarket veteran who also was instrumental in building Ocado’s sales platform, was a key player in expanding Tesco’s ”dark store” operation and online delivery platform.

Prior to joining Ocado, as director of non-food, he worked as UK operations development director and also as a store manager at Tesco.

Now he will go head to head against his old company, which has been building its own online marketplace in the past two years.

Notonthehighstreet.com claims to be the UK’s largest online curated marketplace and had a turnover of £127m in 2014, with new small business partners at a rate of 100 per month.

“Simon is an online retail and e-commerce expert and will bring great experience and energy to the role,” said Holly Tucker MBE, co-founder and President of notonthehighstreet.com.

“His entrepreneurial background and commitment to SMEs will fit well with the ethos and ambitions we have developed at notonthehighstreet.com.”

Belsham, who will join the company in May, said: “Like many others with an interest in retail and e-commerce I have watched the company’s growing success with considerable admiration and I am looking forward to joining this dynamic and pioneering company and working closely with our community of partners.”