A number of new recruits have been appointed following the restructuring of Booker Cash & Carry’s trading department (The Grocer, May 29, page 5).

The trading team has been reorganised into five category teams with the managers of each reporting to trading director Shaun Birrell.

Andrew Thompson has been recruited from Safeway as category manager of the fresh and frozen foods team, and will join the wholesaler in August. He has worked in buying, category management and new product development at Safeway and is part of its fresh foods team.
Category manager for the ambient catering and non foods category will be Harj Mahil.

Mahil has worked with Tesco, BP and British Bakeries and has run his own catering business. His team will include two new recruits as buyers. Usha Chottai joins from Bestway and will focus on ambient catering, while Debbie Johnson joins from Ashbury Confectionery and will focus on non-foods.

Chris Emmel, category manager for grocery and tobacco, Chris Neal, impulse category manager, and alcohol category manager Clive Cooper are all in-house appointments.

In a letter to suppliers Birrell said: “We believe the flatter structure will enable a quicker response time to the market and the five-team format will lead to a clearer focus on key areas.”
John Wood

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